Loup Garou Puella Secrets
by dusty101
Summary: No one ever suspected secrets from Luna, but should they? And how will Luna be able to cope? Random pairing throughout the story, but mainly Harry/Luna. Rated M for sexual content, mentions abuse, and some language. Disregards HBP end and all of DH.
1. Beginning of An Interesting Summer

b A/N: I don't any of the Harry Potter Characters, only the characters I create myself. My story is going to ignore some events in Half Blood Prince and all of Deathly Hallows. Enjoy and please comment to let me know what you think /b 

i It had been months since Sirius died, only a few days shy of a year. /i she thought, sitting on her small, soft bed. You would think she'd be over the fact that he died, but she just couldn't shake it off. She pulled out an old blue book with worn, tattered pages and began to write.

i I can't go a day without thinking about how he used to teach me all his dirty tricks he did at Hogwarts, the wolf-like smile that would creep upon his then thin face, how he would look at you with so much love and concern, how he desperately tried to seem stern and ended up just giving a barking laugh. It was hard having him fall out of my grasp when I had only really known him for a few years. I cried like a baby when I got back to the common room, with the usual stares from my fellow house mates. I came to school with another person who cared for me for who I was, and I left loosing him. But I can't show my emotions to anyone around me except in the safety of my own house. /i 

A knock at the door interrupted her concentration from her furious writing. She placed her quill down and shoved the book under her bed. She whipped the tears that were threatening to spill out from her grey eyes. She looked at herself in the mirror to make sure no signs of sadness remained on her delicate face. She smirked at her large eyes that gave her a look of permanent surprise. Her skin was always a flawless ghostly pale color, resembling a porcelain doll. The blonde tresses that descended from her head were slightly frizzed, but she didn't really care. She had always hated trying to tame her hair because then she would be like all the other girls with perfect hair. She enjoyed standing out and not fitting in. It meant she was unique. Sometimes she would wish she had more friends, but she knew in time people would appreciate her more for who she was. She straightened out her green t-shirt to release the wrinkles, and then started to fall into ordinary girl thoughts about her body. She had filled out during the summer break and her shirts became tight around her chest, and her hips had widened so she no longer looked like a pubescent boy. It made her feel somewhat awkward, just in the fact that she will be getting more attention from the opposite sex.

The knock on the door occurred louder than before, making her jump. She scurried over to the door and opened it quickly. A man stood before her that always brings happiness among people, even the manic depressed couldn't resist smiling. A small smile crept upon both their faces and the twinkle in his eyes seemed to grow brighter.

"Hello, Ms. Lovegood. I hope I wasn't intruding on anything private." Dumbledore said softly as is body towered over the small frame of Luna.

"You weren't intruding at all, sir." Luna replied. Dumbledore walked in swiftly and surveyed the young girl's room. He walked along the navy blue walls with silver trimming, then stopped at one of the large windows.

"I'm glad you love your house colors." He said with the hint of humor in his voice.

"My mom always wanted me to be in Ravenclaw, so she painted my room their colors before I was even born." She smiled sheepishly at the old man. "She even wanted to paint a raven on the wall, but decided not to."

"She did well in Ravenclaw, one of the best in her house." Dumbledore replied. He looked out the window for a short time before responding, "I wanted to thank you for letting the Order switch its headquarters to your house."

"It's no big deal," She said nonchalantly, "Anything to get i him /i out of existence is fine with me."

"I also must say that the Weaselys, Ms. Granger, and Mr. Potter will be accompanying us in our stay." She nodded her head, already figuring they would be at some point. He started to walk out of her room when he turned around to her abruptly. "One more thing, Miss Lovegood. Don't be afraid to reveal the truth to the ones who need to know." With that, he walked closed the door to her room before Luna had a chance to respond.

She stared at the oak door for a long time. i How the hell does he know I haven't told him? /i She thought bitterly as she sat down on her bed once again. She smiled at the thought of Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione coming to her house. Even though she knew that the four that she was strange when they first met, she knew they thought different of her now. She remembered her petty crush on Ron when she first met him, even though he had a confused face whenever he looked at her. She would always talk to him about the animals that her dad looked for and how to protect him from them. She laughed out loud at the memory of him trying his best to get away from her, using Hermione as an excuse. She quickly got over the crush within the passing year, and noticed just how much Hermione would look at Ron with such admiring love whenever he wasn't looking. She had always known they were meant to be together, just because they were complete opposites. Ron was thickheaded not to see what an effect he had on her. She would light up whenever he walked in, and she would always hide her smile even when they were in an argument.

i Hermione still didn't except me for who I am /i Luna thought remorsefully. Hermione seemed to always want to prove that Knargles weren't real, and that she should give up her hopeless dreams. Sometimes she did think she was insane for believing in all those mythical creatures, but she promised herself never to give up. Hermione did have her moments where she could be counted on for any advice, but for the most part they were never close.

Ginny, on the other hand, became one of her best friends. She loved her vivacious personality and how she never listened to orders. She had the largest crush on Harry for many years, and Luna was always there to listen to Ginny have her girly moments. Ginny finally started to date him last year, but he ended the relationship right at the end of the year. It crushed Luna so much when Ginny would cry on her shoulder, hidden from all the other students in their secret hide out. (They discovered it on accident, and have used it to talk late into the night. It wasn't anything special like the Room of Requirement, but it worked for two girls. It was an abandoned Divination room that was hidden by a painting of a young girl in a blue dress. Ginny had convinced the girl to share her secret room, and they have been going there religiously since 4th year.) Even though Ginny was a strong girl, she was destroyed when Harry ended everything between them. She acted strong in front of him, but there were many nights where she would burn his smiling pictures from the numerous newspapers. Luna would write to Ginny three times a day to help Ginny get through the summer with Harry in her house.

Then there's Harry. Luna never thought she would get along with Harry, but he seemed like one of the nicest guys she's ever met. Their true moment of bonding was after the incident at the Ministry, where Harry helped her find her "mysteriously" missing items. They talked about the good moments in the DA, like when she finally cast a perfect Patronus that resembled a sleek otter. None of them knew why it was an otter, and they laughed about how random it really was. Their conversation quickly turned to Sirius, and it was Luna's turn to comfort Harry. He almost cried in front of her, but he quickly rubbed the tears shamefully away. Luna put a comforting hand on his shoulder trying not to cry herself at Harry's loving words towards Sirius. Eventually, they walked back into the Great Hall and departed to their own tables. It had been the last time she had really talked to him like that. Sure, they talked now and then, but never more than a few words. She didn't blame him for any of this because they were in different years, in different houses, and the DA wasn't having many meetings.

"It will be an interesting summer with them around 24/7," Luna thought out loud. She looked at herself one last time in the mirror before she made her way out of her room and down the spiraling staircase. She glided towards the kitchen, to be greeted by many members of the Order.

"Ello poppet," Tonks exclaimed at the sight of the young girl. She walked up and gave the girl a friendly pat on the back and flashed her a wide grin. Luna smiled at the unique woman and returned a genuine smile.

"When are you going to teach me the tricks of your trade, Nymphadora?"

"I don't know why you insist on calling me that hideous name," Tonks replied hotly. "But you know it's extremely hard to learn to be a Metamorphosis if you weren't born as one, but it's possible. Maybe in due time I will give you some little maneuvers." She added a wink at the end of this statement. They both went into a fit of giggles and sat down at the kitchen table.

"I like to see someone people are happy in the mornings," Remus stated warmly as he walked into the kitchen. Both girls looked up at him and smiled at him. "I'd watch out for Mad Eye though, he's pretty ticked that's he's up so early."

"We'll be picking up the crew in a few minutes." Tonks said as she drained the last bit of her coffee. "Mad Eye insisted on coming with us for protection, but he didn't realize we'd be leaving at 8 am."

"GOD DAMN MY DAMN EYE," Mad Eye howled as his magic eye came rolling into the kitchen, whizzing in every direction. A few seconds later came in a stumbling Mad Eye chasing the eye. Luna jumped up and grabbed the eye before rolled out the back door. He stopped quickly in front of her, grabbed the eye, and grumbled over to the coffee machine while putting his eye back in. "Don't you give me those happy-go-lucky smiles this early in the morning."

Tonks laughed heartedly and pulled Mad Eye gently on his arm. "There's no time for coffee now, we have to floo over to the Burrow in a minute." Mad Eye slammed his drink on the counter and stormed into the family room. Luna and Remus laughed at the sight, and started to follow them.

"Luna," Remus started, stopping them both near the family room entrance. "I wanted to see if everything's alright with you."

"Everything's good, Professor." Luna stated half-heartedly.

"You know I'm no longer your professor. Remus is just fine," He looked down at his feet before continuing. "You also know that I can sense when people are upset, since my senses are heightened."

"Then on that case, you should know I can do the same thing," Luna challenged. She quickly regretted sounding so harsh and added. "I'm sorry, Remus, but I just don't want to talk about it. Don't worry; I'm still the girl with the radish earrings." She stated happily, pointing to the large radishes dangling from her ears. He smiled softly at her, his concern evident in his eyes.

"Is it about i him /i ?" Remus whispered.

"Well, I was just thinking about it. Also the fact that dad's gone."

"We're trying our best to find him. He'll be alright." He pulled her into a small hug as a sign of comfort before he walked briskly into the family room. Luna heard the flames from her fireplace and then all was silent. She walked slowly around her now empty house. She thought deeply about the sudden disappearance of her dad at the beginning of the summer. She squeezed her eyes shut when the memories of the Death Eaters blasting their way into the Quibbler office, destroying everything in sight. Luna tried her best to save her dad, but one of the Death Eaters put her into a body bind. It had been only an hour when the Order was finally able to get her out of there.

She quickly brushed those thoughts out of her head and decided to plop onto the comfy couch that she loved. She grabbed on of the many books that were in her house and began to lose herself in the world of fantasy.

Within a few minutes, the green flames erupted in the fireplace and out popped a tall, lanky boy with bright red hair. Ron brushed off the soot off of his shoulders, not really noticing Luna on the couch. He finally looked up with his blue eyes, his mouth opening slightly as he stared in her general direction. Finally, he gave a friendly smile towards her. "Hey there," He said as he made his way over to her. She stood up to greet him expecting a simple handshake, but ended up giving her a hug (which was a first for him.) She smiled in his chest, not because of the contact, but because it meant he finally accepted her. Soon enough Hermione burst through the flames with a loud thump as she fell on the floor. She quickly jumped up and brushed down her skirt.

She walked over to Luna and also gave her a hug. "Hello, how's your summer been," Hermione inquired as she stood between Ron and Luna.

"Fine, I guess." Luna said politely. They both gave small smiles.

"LUNA!" Ginny shouted as she practically sprinted out of the fireplace. Luna gave a barking laugh as Ginny practically tackled her. Luna could only see a mass of red hair for a minute as Ginny smothered her in her desperate hug. "I've missed you so much. It's been hell only having Hermione to talk to about girl stuff," Ginny whispered in Luna's ear. Luna just squeezed Ginny more to control her fit of giggles that threatened to burst. They gave each other knowing looks when they parted.

Finally, Mr. and Mrs. Weasely, Made Eye, Remus, Tonks, and Harry appeared from the green fire. Mr. and Mrs. Weasely introduced themselves to Luna, and receiving one of Mrs. Weasely's famous bone-crushing hugs.

"I'm so sorry about your father dear." Mrs. Weasely said softly. "Now if there's anything you need, don't be afraid to call my name." Luna nodded and smiled as Mrs. Weasely immediately went straight into the kitchen to fix a guaranteed filling breakfast. Mr. Weasely smiled at her and joined Mad Eye and Remus' conversation. She then noticed Harry standing beside her. She smiled up at him as his green eyes twinkled.

"Hello Harry," Luna kindly said.

"Hey," He responded. They both looked at each other for a minute, before Harry finally gave her a warm hug. Luna, taken back with the sudden close proximity, merely froze as his arms held her tightly. She finally returned the hug. She got a whiff of his scent and it consumed her mind. She closed her eyes as she enjoyed how good he smelt. It finally dawned on her exactly how weird it is to just be sniffing someone, so she quickly pulled away from the hug. Harry looked quizzically at her, but smiled none the less. He started shuffling his feet and stated, "I'm sorry about your dad."

She nodded her head slowly, noticing Harry's intense gaze. He had always done this whenever he was talking to someone, making the person feel like they were the only one that mattered. It was something Luna felt was what made Harry special. His green eyes continued his stare as the group sat in a comfortable silence. Finally, Ginny cleared her throat. "I want to see your room" She said with a hint of seriousness.

Luna immediately knew that Ginny wanted to talk in private, and knew that she wanted to do it now. "Make yourselves at home guys." Luna said as Ginny yanked her arm towards the stairs. Luna quickly led the way up the stairs and down the hall to her room. The walked in hurriedly and Ginny slammed the door.

"I've been dying to talk to you alone." Ginny exclaimed as she plopped onto the bed. Luna stood at the door looking at Ginny quizzically.

"What for?"

"You know," Ginny started. "What you explained to me in your letters." Ginny stared seriously at Luna for quite some time before it registered in Luna's head.

"I completely forgot that I told you," Luna said apologetically. "Sorry."

"It's alright, you always forget something…usually when you daydream or think about knargles." Luna chuckled at the fact in Ginny's statement. Luna walked over to her bed and sat next to Ginny. Finally, Ginny asked, "How long does it take?"

"Usually a few months," Luna started. "It feels weird too. My senses are heightened and I can hear, smell, taste, and feel things that I never was able to before. For example, Remus walked into the kitchen this morning and I could feel the love radiating between him and Tonks."

"WHAT?" Ginny cried out. "I didn't even know they had feelings like that for each other."

"Neither did I until this morning." Luna said honestly. "I've also noticed it with Hermione and Ron, but that's beside the point." Ginny tried to ask more questions, but stopped at the last statement. "It seems I have mood swings too. I have to protect myself from werewolves though, because they can tell what's going on–"

"What about Remus? Last time I checked he was one." Ginny interjected.

"He's the one helping me through this; I just have to throw off his advances."

Ginny and Luna sat for a few minutes, absorbing all the facts that were being pulled out into the open. "What exactly would you call yourself?" Ginny whispered, breaking the silence.

"There is a technical term for it, actually. I'm called loup-garou puella, which translated literally means, werewolf child."

b So, what did you guys think? It's a little bit different from the ways I've seen Luna presented, so I thought this would be fun to do. Please review for me and let me know if you liked it or not. /b 


	2. Remus, Interupted

**A/N****: So this chapter is ****gonna**** get a little spicy. Hope you guys like it. Review, as always.**

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"So who was the werewolf? Your mom or dad?" Ginny questioned.

"My mom. You remember that my mom's from Latvia?" Ginny nodded her head quickly. "Over there, werewolves are called vilkacis. They would find treasure and stuff like that for royalty back in the day. She wasn't criticized over there for who she was, because it was common there. They even transformed people on purpose into werewolves. My mom volunteered to be transformed, because it was such an honor over there. She didn't get bitten, like most people believed. She was rubbed with this ancient magical salve. Most people just preferred to just wearing a belt made of wolf skin so it could be removed, but she didn't want to go back to a normal human. Most people in her town were vilkacis. Obviously, it was a little weird for her when she went to Hogwarts."

"What did your mom look like," Ginny inquired.

"Practically the same as me," Luna said. "She had long blonde hair and pale skin, but the only significant difference was that her eyes were green. Mine are grey, if you haven't noticed."

"How could you not notice, they're pretty intense…not gonna lie." Ginny retorted. "I've always been jealous of your eyes. They're almost silver, if you look at them closely." Then, in an instant, something clicked in Ginny's head. Luna could see the concentration all over her face. Ginny's amber eyes scanned Luna's features skeptically.

"What color are your dad's eyes?"

"Brown…why?"

"You couldn't have those colored eyes then," Ginny responded quickly. "Brown eyes is a dominant gene, you would have to have brown eyes. It's near impossible for you to have those eyes if he's…OH MY GOD!" As if on cue, Luna's door flew open and Hermione fell onto the floor for the second time that day. She got up quickly, her cheeks red and started to leave her room.

"Wait," Luna said shakily, looking in Hermione's delicate hand. "What's that?"

Hermione glanced down at her hand and shoved the string with two small lumps on each end into her pocket. "Oh, this thing…nothing, it's just a necklace. What else would it be silly?"

Luna could tell it was a lie; lying was the only thing Hermione was bad at. "Really? Then why would necklaces have ears on them? Are they for good luck?"

"Ah…yes! They're from uhm… this new store. It's the new thing to wear," Hermione said quickly, trying to be convincing.

"Or," Luna said slowly, anger dripping off of her voice. "Are they extendible ears that you have used to listen to our conversation?" Ginny gasped at Hermione, shocked that Hermione would even think to do that. Hermione started to shuffle her feet and bowed her head, resembling a two year old waiting to be punished. Luna mentally smacked her head for being so ignorant that people might be trying to listen to their conversation. Now more people than intended knew about one of her secrets.

"I heard you say something about Remus…I though you might be talking about the Order. Then I heard you mention me and Ron," At this her cheeks burned a scarlet red, almost rivaling the one that Ron usually gives himself. "I was going to walk away, but then I heard you say…well, what you are."

"Wait, you're always with Harry and Ron…where are they?" Ginny questioned quickly, before she sprinted out of the door. Hermione and Luna ran after her, Hermione trying to convince Ginny that they weren't there and Luna fuming at Hermione. They finally arrived in the living room to find Harry and Ron sitting on the couch, avoiding the three girls.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" Ginny screamed at the two. Ron shrunk into the couch at the sight of his sister. Harry looked up at Luna, and Luna felt pity and shame.

"You guys were with Hermione then, weren't you?" Luna said softly, almost on the verge of tears. _Damn mood swings_ Luna though irritably. Ron and Harry stared at her for a few seconds before nodding their heads slowly. Surprisingly, Ron was the first to speak.

"We saw Hermione hunched over by a door, her face all red. I thought she was sick or something, since her eyes were kinda bugging out of her head." Hermione blushed once again, but not without giving Ron a menacing glare. "So we tried figuring out what was wrong, when we heard you and Ginny talking…and you know the rest."

"I'm sorry, truly I am…we had no idea," Harry replied, looking at her once again in the eye. The look on the trio's faces was one that Luna would have to get used to, for it was a look of pity. Hermione's brown eyes were glossy with threatening tears, either from being caught doing something bad or the fact of what Luna is…or possibly both.

"I'm sorry I revolt you so," Luna said bitterly. She stared at all three of them with a vicious glare before walking slowly back up the stairs. "So much for a good break."

She slinked onto her comfy bed, curling in the mass of blue sheets and feather pillows. She stared out into nothing, trying her best not to feel so much anger_. I should curse myself for not even thinking that someone might by nosy. After all the DA taught me, you would think I would retain that bit of information._ She reached over and grabbed a book sitting near her bed and began reading about one of the most striking creatures (and one of her personal favorites), the manticore.

"What are you reading about?" A low voice requested near her head. She peeled her eyes away from the page and almost collided into Harry's face. She pulled her head back quickly before they hit heads. Harry was sitting in one of her chairs, leaning towards her with curiosity and his eyes searching for some type of reaction from her.

"History of the Manticore."

"What in the hell is that?"

"It's kinda like a sphinx really. It has the body of a red lion, a human head with three rows of sharp teeth, and a trumpet-like voice. The tail is either of a dragon or a scorpion, and it may shoot poisonous spines to either paralyze or kill its victims. Nowadays, the manticore is said by the natives to inhabit the forests of Asia, particularly Indonesia. The manticore can kill instantly with a bite or a scratch, and will then eat the victim entirely, bones and all. Whenever a person disappears completely, it is said that the locals consider it the work of the manticore."

"Pretty intense skills," Harry said. "Is it classified in the wizarding world yet?"

"Nope, no one has really been able to survive an encounter with it. Thus, no classification," Luna replied knowingly. "Hermione, however, would just say that manticores are just a made up piece of fiction."

"It's sometimes hard for her to believe something that isn't a proven fact. Maybe you'll show her one day that a manticore really exists." He gave her a dashing smile as he said this. The smile faded quickly as he looked down at her seriously. "I'm very sorry for intruding on your conversation with Ginny. And downstairs when I said I was sorry, it wasn't for pity; it was just for intruding. I hold nothing against you for having this interesting part of you. Hell, I'm friends with Remus. If I was not to like you, I'd have to hate Remus. You are a very unique person, something that's very hard to find in this day and age. I'm proud to say that you're my friend."

Luna looked intently at Harry. She was honestly stunned by his words. She realized she acted too quickly into thinking Harry hated her for what she was. Knowing how Harry thought of her in such a positive light made her heart fill with happiness. She had almost forgotten that feeling since her dad had been kidnapped. Eventually, Luna smiled back at him and said, "Thank you. I guess I should apologize too, since I acted too quickly to hear your response."

"It's completely understandable. I probably would have hexed everyone in the room and thrown a fucking hissy fit." Harry responded jokingly, throwing his hands up in the air. Luna chuckled at his display. She grabbed one of her pillows and tossed it at his face. This only made Luna laugh even more at the sight of Harry's face. "How dare you throw that pillow at me," Harry yelled in mock anger. "Thou shall suffer under the tickle hex."

"Oh hell no," Luna exclaimed as Harry reached his long arms to her side and began tickling her. She yelped and laughed as she thrashed around on her bed. Harry just kept on laughing and tickling her more.

"I'm…seriously…going…to…piss…myself." Luna gasped between laughs. She thrashed so much that she fell off the bed. Harry jumped up onto the bed immediately and peered over the side of the bed.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked urgently. She laid still under the feeling of his stare. "Come on, this isn't a joke." She still stayed still. Harry got of the bed and kneeled next to Luna, getting ready to pick her up when Luna pounced on him like a fox. Harry flew back as Luna started tickling him on his ribs. Harry howled in response.

"Oh no you don't!" He picked Luna up and tossed her on the bed. She tried her best to get off, but Harry pinned himself against her. His strong hands held her little wrists above her head, and his whole body pressed against her. Something inside Luna stirred as she looked up at his smooth face. He was oblivious to what position they were in, and he kept on laughing at her. She could easily feel his toned, but slender body through their clothes. She blushed slightly as the thought of seeing Harry shirtless. She moved her hips, but ended up accidentally brushing up against his groin. Harry stopped immediately at the sudden contact, and looked at her with a new look that she hadn't seen from him before. He stared down at her intently, but then jumped off as fast as he could. Luna sat up quickly and watched him pacing the room.

"Uh…sorry for the awkwardness," Harry eventually said with red cheeks. Luna merely nodded her head, too embarrassed to even mention the effect she had on him. "So uh, what is it that you and Ginny were talking about that would take a couple of months?"

Glad that Harry changed the subject, Luna replied. "Well, it's when a loup-garou puella comes of age, and the werewolf symptoms come out."

"Will you actually turn into –"

"No, that's only if you're a full blown werewolf." Luna replied happily. That fact was the only thing she was extremely happy about.

"So what are the symptoms?"

"Heightened senses basically. I'm pretty athletic now too, since I can run for miles and not even sweat. I have a huge appetite for meat, but no humans. I get along with animals very well and sometimes take on wolf like actions. But there is this huge ritual that has to take place that is similar to what werewolf clans do when one of them comes of age. Basically saying that I'm an adult."

"Oh, is Remus going to help you with the ritual?"

"Yea, he has to…he's the only werewolf I know right now. Even though it will be pretty awkward."

"How so," Harry questioned, moving over to sit with Luna on the bed.

"Well, you know how dogs go into heat?"

"Yea, but how the hell does that pertains to being a loup-garou puella?"

"Uh…well it does have a lot to do with me. You see, during the last couple of months of adolescence, the females usually go into something like heat." She blushed slightly at this, while Harry avoided her eyes. "Werewolves can tell exactly what's going on, and usually try to uh… _mate_ with her as much as possible." Luna blushed to the point she looked like she was choking. It was always awkward for her to talk about sex, especially talking about it to a guy.

"So…uh, Remus is going to try to…uh…fuck you?"

"It's possible," Luna responded awkwardly. It was Harry's turn to blush madly. They sat in a very awkward silence.

"Does it work on non-werewolves?" He inquired

"It can, just not as strong as a werewolf. They'll just think I look pretty hot or something." Luna replied nonchalantly. Harry nodded at her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"If anyone ever tries to…do something like that to you, you can just get Ron and I and we'll take care of them."

"Thanks, I sure could use all the help I could get." She gratefully responded.

"I'm pretty damn hungry, care to go downstairs for the most amazing breakfast of your life," Harry questioned as he offered a hand to Luna. She placed her little hand into his and he pulled her off the bed. She felt disappointed as he let go of her hand to walk downstairs. They walked into the vast kitchen with the whole crew sitting at the table silently. When Harry and Luna walked in, Hermione and Ron looked like they were about the throw up, while Ginny looked at Harry skeptically. Luna merely smiled at them when she felt two pairs of arms wrap around her waist and shoulder.

"Well look at the dear Luna, all grown up," Fred said cheekily, squeezing her shoulders slightly.

"Grown in more ways than one, might I say," George whispered into her ear, gently tracing his finger down her back and back around her waist. Luna's eyes flashed with pleasure at the sudden contact, but quickly took control over her reaction. Hermione and Ginny looked at her for a long time, but Luna gave them a reassuring look.

"Hello Fred, George. Nice to have you guys join us," Luna said calmly, which took much control to do.

"I'm pretty excited that we came, now that you're here," Fred whispered back. Luna pulled her head away and looked into his face questionably. He smiled mischievously and gave her a wink. They pulled her down to sit in-between the two older twins. Soon all of them were eating a large breakfast. Luna put everything that was cooked on her plate and started eating ravenously.

"I sure love a girl that can eat," George said happily. "Means she's not afraid to put anything in her mouth, if you get what I mean," He whispered into her ear. She nearly choked on the egg that she was chewing on. She quickly covered it up by coughing softly. Harry looked from the twins to her, giving her a knowing look. She smiled softly and shook her head. Harry went back to eating, not before giving Fred and George a meaningful stare. They both shrugged at him and gave innocent smiles. They all went back to eating, chatting aimlessly when Luna felt a hand land on top of her thy. She inhaled sharply at the touch. Luna's body once again responded pleasurably towards the hand. She looked up at Fred and he once again gave her a mischievous grin. Despite Luna's best efforts, she returned the smile. _What the fuck am I doing?_ Luna thought angrily, but her body paid her no attention. _You want __it,__ you need it_ another voice said in her head. Her thoughts quickly disappeared as Fred's hand moved farther up her thy. Her breathe intensified as a new and strange feeling rose up in the pit of her stomach. By now she completely gave up on paying attention to the conversation that was going on. Fred kept on toying with her as he would trace his finger along her thy, moving ever so slowly up.

"Earth to Luna," Ginny yelled slightly at her. Luna quickly looked up at Ginny. "I've been calling your name for awhile."

"Oh sorry, just thinking about knargles, of course." Luna said a little too quickly. Ginny squinted her amber eyes until they formed little slits.

"Well, I asked if you were alright, because you were breathing really hard."

"Yea, I'm fine. Actually, I'm not. I think I'm gonna go upstairs and take a nap to see if that makes me feel better." Luna stood up quickly, causing Fred's hand to fall back into his lap.

"Are you sure dear? I don't want you passing out, you do look a bit pale," Mrs. Weasely asked motherly.

"I'm sure, I'll be just fine."

"Well, I don't want you to walk upstairs and pass out. Fred, be a dear and go escort Luna to her room."

"Of course, mum," Fred replied, looking like it was Christmas in July.

"That's not necessary, Mrs. Weasely. I'm sure I can make it up just fine." Luna said frantically. Ginny kept her squinted eyes on Luna as Luna mentally freaked out at the prospect of a horny Fred following a hot and bothered Luna.

"But I insist, Ms. Lovegood," Fred said smoothly, lust flashing through his piercing eyes. Luna started walking without him, hoping that she could reach her room and lock it before Fred got the best of her. She quickly started sprinting up the stairs when she heard his footsteps narrowing behind her. Just as she was about to open her door, she felt a pair of callused hands grab her waist and pull her around. Fred stared down at her lustfully as his hand traced her face. "I never noticed how beautiful you are, Ms. Lovegood. I must say, you do things to me that no one has been able to accomplish that quickly."

"Wh-what do you mean," Luna faltered under his touch. She tried her best to tell her body to run away and hex him, but another part of her mind told her to stay and enjoy every second.

"This," Fred said as he pressed his body up against hers, especially his waist. Luna gasped at the sudden contact, feeling exactly what she did to him. Before she had time to react, she felt a pair of thin lips collide with her mouth. She froze in her spot as he kissed her. She gasped when it finally registered in her head, and Fred took advantage of the moment by sliding his tongue into her small mouth. She again did nothing as he tried his best to work his magic. She kept her mind on refusing to respond to the kisses, but when his hand traced down the small of her back, her body no longer paid attention to her mind and she began to kiss him back eagerly. Fred pulled away for a second, surprised at her sudden change of response. She looked at him, her eyes now a brilliant silver color, showing all the lust she had for him. She pulled his head roughly back towards him and kissed him. Fred parted from her lips and moved down to her neck. Luna moaned softly as she ran her hands through his hair. She bucked her hips at his, which caused him to moan loudly into her neck. She smirked at his response and was about to suggest they move to her bed when she heard someone clear his throat.

Remus stood a few feet away, staring harshly at the two. Fred quickly got off Luna, but moved Luna in front of him to hide from his noticeable predicament. "I suggest," Remus started angrily, "That you refrain from any such contact from Luna or you shall no longer have the ability to reproduce. Do I make myself clear?" Fred nodded his head quickly. "Good, now get out of my sight and take care of your…problem." Fred sprinted into another room and slammed the door. Remus watched him run and as soon as he was sure the boy wouldn't come out, he turned his stare onto Luna. "You need your first lesson." Remus said as he led her to his room. Luna followed regretfully behind him, her eyes still a brilliant silver color. Once inside his plain room, he locked the door and put a silencing charm on the room.

"Why did you make him go away," Luna asked frustrated at the fact that Fred was now gone, but she wasn't fulfilled.

"Because it wasn't the right time for you, and you would have probably regretted it." Remus replied cautiously, motioning for her to sit on the bed.

"I wouldn't have regretted it, I would have enjoyed every minute of it."

"That's not you that's talking." Remus said softly, trying to calm her down.

"Who the fuck would be talking then?" Luna angrily spat.

"The part of you that's a werewolf in heat." Luna's eyes immediately turned back into their original grey color and the color on her face disappeared.

"I can't believe I did that," Luna said softly. "I guess I was battling the werewolf in me?"

"Yes, you were. The one thing that gives you off is your eyes. Werewolves eyes become much brighter and more intense when they're…how shall I say…in the mood." Luna and Remus both blushed slightly. "You're gonna have to control that part of you as much as you can, until the time comes."

"So there's a specific time that I'm allowed to have sex? So much for choosing," Luna said, irony dripping from her voice.

"Well, you make the decision…and then a date is set."

"Great, cause that's the least bit awkward." Remus gave her a small smile.

"Yes, it is awkward, but you must do it."

"Is this different between guys and girls?" Luna questioned thoughtfully. "And I mean in the sense of the ritual…not the whole sex thing. I believe I got that down."

Remus laughed softly at the phrase and sat down at the desk. "Well, it's not a ritual for a guy per say…they just look for a female in heat to be a part of her ritual. So I guess in that way, their ritual is like the females. But other than that, they're not that much alike."

"Interesting," Luna responded while nodding her head. "What will my lessons consist of?"

"I'll train you to resist the threat of incidents like the one between you and Fred." Luna's face developed into a dark maroon, but Remus kept on going. "I'll also train you to use the skills that you have for good purposes, and ways to use people's scents."

"So that's why I could smell Harry very well. Wait, I could only really smell his though. How come I couldn't smell Ron's or even yours?"

"Depends if they have become a man or not."

"You mean have they have sex or not?"

"Precisely, I just mask my smell for my own protection. Here, I'll release it." Remus closed his eyes and bowed his head. Luna watched him intently, waiting for something to happen. Suddenly, she got a whiff of a strong smell that, like with Harry, engulfed her mind. The only difference was Remus' seemed more animalistic and raw, while Harry's seemed more gentle and calming. Luna, this time, could feel here eyes begin to brighten as she looked up at Remus. His eyes too were much brighter, resembling bright copper. He sniffed the air around her and smirked. Suddenly, Remus' face went pale and he backed away slowly. The smell quickly evaporated from the air.

"I'm sorry, but you must leave right now. I've endangered us to do the unthinkable. I shouldn't have done that. I'll contact you for our next lesson. Try getting some books on loup-garou puellas and read them completely." Luna nodded slowly, getting up and making her way out of the room. As she passed Remus, her body stiffened and stopped moving. Her body resembled a majestic statue as she peered down at Remus. Remus, feeling her gaze, looked back up at her with a questioning look. Luna said nothing as she continued walking to her room.

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**Little bit of foreshadowing in this chapter. Did you guys like it? Not like the direction I'm going it? Let me know, but always in constructive criticism, not harsh meanness. THANKS! **


	3. Hairspray Fiasco

**A/N: Things with Fred will be explained in this chapter. Let me know what you think please! Hope you enjoy**

For the next few weeks, everything in the Lovegood house went by smoothly, except for the almost daily arguments from Hermione and Ron. Even Harry and Ginny were getting along as if nothing happened. Luna hadn't had lessons from Remus since the first one, but Luna read the books she found daily. Luna was in the middle of reading her newest book when a soft knock was heard.

"Come in," Luna said vaguely, her eyes still transfixed to the pages. The door creaked open as Hermione and Ginny came in. Luna finally peered over the top of her book to see Ginny standing in front of her, and Hermione closing the door as she stared around the vast room.

"You guys have a library in your house?" Hermione asked, astonished and amazed at the sight of hundreds of books lining the walls. The room was two stores high, with a balcony and ladder to reach the top floor.

"My mom and dad were huge bookworms," Luna closed her book and curled more into the comfy chair. "It's something I've inherited apparently."

"It's beautiful." Hermione said, sliding her elegant hands across the ancient books. "It could rival the one at Hogwarts." Luna looked at Hermione and smiled at the compliment. Hermione returned it and continued looking at the books.

"It's pretty cool for a library," Ginny said, the least bit impressed with a book collection. Luna shook her head, but accepted the compliment none the less. "But, we're here on other business."

"What business, may I ask, am I needed for?" Luna inquired. Ginny and Hermione sat themselves on the couch next to Luna's chair.

"Business matters of men, of course." Ginny exclaimed. Hermione blushed profusely and slapped Ginny's arm softly.

"What she means," Hermione started. "Is that do you truly believe Ron likes me? Because I certainly find it hard to believe." She twirled her bushy hair in her fingers and looked down at her feet.

Luna smirked at Hermione's discomfort, for it was rare to see Hermione acting in such a girly way. "Yes, I do believe Ronald likes you. It's pretty obvious if you ask me."

"I told you," Ginny said excitedly to Hermione. Hermione just stared at Luna with wide eyes.

"But…we fight all the time!"

"Opposites attract, my friend." Luna voiced. Hermione continued to look at Luna with wide eyes, but a toothy smile began to evolve on her small face. For the first time since Luna has known Hermione, Hermione let out the loudest squeal and jumped onto Luna, engulfing her into the largest and most welcoming hug. Luna and Hermione toppled over the chair and landed with a small thump on the floor. The three girls laughed at Luna's and Hermione's clumsiness, and straightened each other's clothes.

"I just, don't know how to get along with him without getting angry," Hermione stated once they sat back down again. "He says the dumbest things sometimes and he _always_ gets angry whenever I try to correct him." Hermione's previous joy seemed to evaporate of her face, and was now replaced with worry and sadness.

"I'm telling you, a way to a guy's heart is food and some sex."

"GINNY," Hermione yelped, blushing much like her new found crush. "I'm not going to frolic around and have sex. That's un-lady like!"

"Oh sod off. Once you have sex, you'll always want it." Ginny said nonchalantly, waving her hand in the air. Hermione stared at Ginny incredulously.

"You haven't…with Harry?" Hermione stuttered.

"Nope, with Michael; Harry and I never had sex during our relationship."

"You're not surprised with this?" Hermione yelled towards Luna.

"She told me a long time ago, though I was freaked out when she told me."

"He was okay, if you were wondering." Ginny smirked at Hermione's obvious discomfort. "But seriously, guys usually are thinking about sex for most of the day. So who knows, he may have already fantasized about you dressed as a sexy librarian, ever so slowly pulling off your bra and–" Ginny dodged the pillows that were flying towards her. She quickly shut up and gave Hermione the evil eye.

"Ronald wouldn't do that." Hermione huffed.

"Oh yes he would." Luna chimed in. "Every guy does that stuff, Ron especially. You saw the way him and Lavender were like last year." Hermione gave a quick nod, her lips pursed in anger. "It's just a natural thing: guys want to sex all the time, girls want to have sex when they're emotionally connected with the guy."

"Harry was different though." Ginny scooted to the edge of the couch, and the other girls leaned in. "He said he didn't want to rush into anything, which was weird cause all the other guys I'd been with, they'd ask for it within a month or so."

"Harry has morals," Hermione said. "So that means Ron should have them too."

"He might have morals, but it won't stop those thoughts." Luna responded. "The whole sex issue is beside the point. Ron likes you, you obviously like him," Hermione blushed once again. "What are you going to do about it?"

Hermione looked down at her hands in fierce concentration. After a few moments of thinking, Hermione whispered. "I guess I could finally let Ginny make me over."

"Are you giving me verbal permission to change the appearance of the Hermione Jean Granger?"

"Maybe I would if you would stop insisting on using my full name."

"Looks are one thing, what else will you do?" Luna interjected before an argument could erupt.

"Try not to fight as often would be good. Uhm, talking about some of his interests…maybe?" Hermione said sheepishly.

"Good," Luna said, nodding encouragingly at Hermione. "It won't be terrible talking about Quidditch." Hermione gave a dark stare with her chocolate colored eyes. "Alright, maybe it will be hard. But you shouldn't give up. I promise you two will end up together."

Ginny gave an excited clap and jumped off the couch. "Come on, let's get started on operation: sex kitten!" Hermione screamed and yelled at Ginny about the inappropriate operation name, but Ginny was already dragging Hermione down the hall and into the bathroom. Luna laughed and followed suit, until she heard someone call her name. She turned around and saw a scared looking Fred at the end of the hall. Luna immediately tensed up at the sight of him, but felt her inner wolf perking up.

"I mean no harm this time," Fred said, his voice filled with shame. "I had no idea what came over me…it's like something else controlled me. I've never disrespected a woman like that before. I really hope you will accept my apology."

Luna looked skeptically at Fred, but decided that he was being honest. "It's alright; I guess we got caught up in the moment. There is something I probably should explain, dealing with why you acted the way you did." Luna then briefly explained how she was a loup-garou puella and how she will attract all sorts of attention.

"So that's why I practically jumped you." Fred said, laughing at the situation. Luna laughed too, thinking about how awkward, yet hilarious, the situation was.

"You were pretty intense."

"Well, all you need to do is find a great guy who'll love you for you. Then this…_heat_ thing will go away."

"If only it were that easy." Luna mumbled more to herself than to Fred, but he heard her none the less.

"Don't act like that, Luna," Fred reassured. "The one that's meant for you will show up. Everyone has a soul mate."

"Wow, I'd never guess that Fred Weasely was the romantic type."

"When I met Alicia Spinnet, I knew that I didn't want to be with anyone else. She's the love of my life." Fred said seriously. The words of his love for her made Luna look at Fred in a new light. _I hope I can find something as powerful as he has_ Luna thought remorsefully. "I've finally got her to agree to go on a date with me, which is actually tonight. So, we must depart…but I shall return to thee." Fred said with a proper voice, taking a dramatic bow.

Luna rolled her eyes at him, but curtsied none the less. "Go get her." Fred gave her a huge smile as he quickly sprinted down the stairs. She stared in his direction for the longest time, deep in thought. _I hope I find love, but it will be hard. It's not like everyone accepts werewolves, so who would accept me?_

She began walking down the hall and towards the bathroom which Ginny and Hermione occupied. _That and there's the thing of finding a guy that would care for me for who I am, and not just because my inner wolf is beckoning them to. All guys think of sex constantly, and they expect it. What guy would expect us to wait?_

Luna hung her head at the thought, until someone popped into her head. _Harry didn't have sex with Ginny and they dated for months. _Luna stopped abruptly in the hall, astounded that she thought of Harry. _There's no way I can think of Harry in that way, he's my best friend's ex. Plus, I'm sure Harry doesn't see me in that kind of light…_

"LUNA, WHAT'S KEEPING YOU?!?" Ginny screamed down the hall, her head poking out of the door frame and her ginger hair disheveled. Luna shook her head quickly, as if to shake the thoughts out of her mind, and sprinted down the hall into the bathroom. Her nose was immediately molested by the smell of a gallon of hairspray invading the precious air they breathed. Luna coughed and waved a hand in front of her face.

"Enough hairspray?" Luna spat out between coughs.

"I have to tame the beast of hair, no offence Hermione," Hermione was sitting on a small chair with half of her head sleek, while the other side was standing in every direction resembling a giant afro. She looked at herself in the mirror, mortification written all over her face. "It's going to look amazing, Hermione, _**trust me**_." Before Hermione to interject, Ginny tossed Luna a hairbrush and hairspray and yelled. "I'm in need of some help here, woman!"

They slaved over Hermione's hair for over an hour until each and every strand of hair was tamed to Hermione's head. Hermione only tried to escape twice, both times Ginny tackling her within a few seconds. They finally finished Hermione's make up, and were now onto clothing.

"I'm sure that my clothes are fine, please." Hermione pleaded with Ginny. Luna leaned up against the dresser and smirked at Hermione. Hermione shot Luna a look which told Luna to stop while she's ahead. She then decided to watch Ginny digging deeply into the closet, saying 'no' and 'maybe' to an assortment of clothes. Ginny made a loud gasp and pulled out a simple and modest white sundress, with spaghetti straps and a delicate lace trimming.

"This is the one!" Ginny expressed excitedly. She tossed it towards Hermione and clapped her hands together, reminding the two girls of Mrs. Weasely. "Ron's going to flip a shit when he sees you."

"Ginny, seriously…he shall not flip his feces when he sees me." Hermione said sternly, but looking at the dress excitedly.

"Well what are you waiting for? Go put it on." Luna urged as she gently pushed Hermione towards the bathroom. Hermione looked at the two girls one last time before closing the door. Luna pulled out an old wooden chair from the desk nearby and sat down, while Ginny looked at her with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "How about we all dress up, just for the hell of it? Plus, I'd get to make Harry jealous."

Luna looked up at Ginny and furrowed her almost nonexistent brows. "Do you still like him?"

Ginny thought about it for a second, her hand absentmindedly twirling her ginger hair. "No," She finally said. "I think I stopped liking him around the time we all came to your house. He's a nice guy; I can see why he broke up with me…he wanted to save me. We weren't really suited for each other either. We're both too much alike."

"Maybe that's why he was attracted to you." Luna responded. Ginny shook her head and sat on top of the desk, looking down at Luna.

"I just think he doesn't know what he needs. I mean his first girlfriend was a crying mess because her first love just died a few months before. Then he starts dating me, and we're just so similar that we pissed each other off all the time. He was a great boyfriend, but I can really only see him as a friend."

"Do you think he likes you still?"

"Maybe, but then again it's hard to know if Harry likes someone or not. He told me he liked me since around 4th year, and I had no bloody idea about it. Wish I had known about it, but that's how life goes." Luna propped her head against her hand, her eyes glazing over with thought. _Well, at least she's over him. So if I were to date Harry, she'd be fine with it. Wait…no way I could date Harry. I don't like him like that, he's just a friend._

"Earth to Luna," Ginny said, annoyance slightly hidden in her voice. "I said you should have bangs."

"Oh…uh…why?" Luna questioned.

"It'd be cute, please let me cut your hair…please?" Ginny pouted her lips and scooted towards Luna. Luna shook her head, and Ginny finally brought out the huge puppy dog eyes.

"Damn you." Luna retorted. "You know I can't say no when you do that."

"I know, that's why I did it, stupid." Ginny said ecstatically as she grabbed a pair of scissors. "I promise they won't look bad. It'll just be side bangs."

"Wouldn't that look stupid? I mean if I was going to get bangs, wouldn't they look better if they were on both sides?" Ginny howled in laughter as Luna looked up at her quizzically. Ginny clutched her side and almost toppled over in her fit of giggles, but quickly regained composure."

"They're not on one side, dingbat. They just slant towards one side." Ginny said, humor rolling off her tongue. "Sometimes I wonder how you never know about the latest fashion, my dear. Even Hermione knows about side bangs." Ginny grabbed a chunk of Luna's hair and began clipping away.

"I don't believe in following what's popular. I like being unique. You should know that by now." Luna said, feeling slightly upset at her ignorance of fashion and how others tried to convert her.

"Hey, don't get upset," Ginny said quickly, putting down the scissors and looking deeply into her eyes. "I'm not trying to change you; I just thought a new hairstyle would look good. You're a very pretty, whether you like to admit it or not. And I must say, I did a pretty damn good job too." Ginny ran over to the dresser to grab a hand mirror, and held it in front of Luna's face.

Luna looked skeptically at the bangs and they swept across her face. She tried to find one bad thing about them, but ended up not being able to. _It is a good cut_ Luna finally decided. She smiled at her improved reflection. "I love it." Ginny squealed at Luna and gave her a small hug.

"I like what you did too." Hermione's voice rang from across the room. Hermione stood elegantly in front of the two younger girls. The dress hugged her chest and torso tightly, while flowing away from her hips. Her hair was sleek and straight, cascading down to her lower back. Her makeup wasn't drastic, but it was enough to emphasize her high cheekbones and her plump lips. She gave the girls a huge smile before responding, "You guys are amazing, I wish I had this done years ago."

"Who knew that your hair is so long when it's straight." Luna walked behind her

"I know!" Hermione beamed at her own reflection. "I love the side bangs, by the way."

"Thanks."

"Hey, we should take a picture. Let me go get our camera!" Ginny shouted as she jumped over to her trunk and rummaged for the camera. She pulled out an old antique camera that seemed to look rusted.

"Is it the muggle kind?" Hermione questioned.

"You kidding? The magic ones are so much better." Ginny exclaimed, appalled at the thought of a still picture. "Alright, let's huddle together, and on the count of three, smile. The three girls got together, Luna in the middle. Ginny held the old camera in front of them and began counting. As soon as Ginny was about to take the picture, Hermione started giggling and soon all three were giggling as the picture was taking. They eventually stopped, and sat on the wooden floor, waiting for the picture to pop out. After a few minutes, the picture came out revealing three laughing girls. Hermione's mouth was completely wide open and her eyes closed, evident that she was laughing merrily. Ginny was leaning slightly forward laughing towards Hermione. Finally, Luna was looking directly into the camera, her eyes sparkling with happiness and a wide grin plastered across her face.

"Of course, Luna would be the one smiling." Ginny said as she watched herself lean onto Luna for support in the picture.

"I can't help it; it's the way I laugh." Luna said in her own defense.

"Blonde, brunette, and a red head….how ironic." Hermione noticed. They all smiled down at the picture. "I think we should all have a copy of this." Hermione tapped her wand onto the camera and it spit out two more copies of the same picture.

"This is a great picture." Ginny declared.

"Yea, now I finally have a picture of my best friends." Hermione said happily. Luna looked up at Hermione, surprised at her words.

"You…you mean you consider me as a best friend?"

"Well, of course," Hermione said. "You're a great listener. How could anyone not be a friend of yours?" Luna smiled at her happily as Hermione slung her arm around Luna's shoulder. "Ron and Harry are my best guy friends, but you two are my best girl friends." All three girls turned to each other and hugged each other tightly before they got up and made they're way to the door.

"Now, let's go get my man, ladies." Hermione said, adding a wink at the end.

"Operation: sex kitten a success!" Ginny shouted.

Hermione turned to Ginny as said sternly, "I told you I didn't like that name." Ginny stared at Hermione, surprised at the sudden change in attitude. "How about Operation: sexy librarian?"

"Even better," Luna cheered as they glided down the stairs. They eventually found the two boys riding their broomsticks, tossing balls back and forth. Ron took a quick glance down towards the three girls, and got hit in the face with one of the balls that Harry tossed. "I think he noticed," Luna whispered into Hermione's ear. She looked back at Luna with a slight blush across her face, but was happy none the less. Ron flew over to Harry and whispered something into his ear and both flew down to the girls. Ron sprinted towards Hermione, without giving Luna and Ginny the light of day.

"Y-you look a-amazing, Hermione," Ron stuttered, his mouth slightly ajar. Harry smiled at the three girls, and stepped aside to watch Ron and Hermione. Luna's eyes drifted to Harry, and stared longer than necessary at Harry's muscles. She stared at his face, which was slightly covered with dirt and sweat. Harry, feeling someone stare at him, met Luna's eyes. Luna quickly turned her head back to Hermione and Ron, but could still feel Harry's gaze upon her.

"Thank you, Ronald." Hermione said softly, a small blush creeping on both of their cheeks. "Would you like to take a walk?"

"Would I? It would be an honor!" Ron exclaimed as he offered his arm to her. She smiled at him, took his arm, and the two began walking towards the nearby garden.

"WOOHOO!" Ginny shouted once they were out of earshot. "WE DID IT!"

"Nice work, you two." Harry said happily, relieved that his two friends are finally attempting to get together.

"GINERVA MOLLY WEASELY," Mrs. Weasely shouted from the house. "COME UP HERE AND HELP ME WITH DINNER!"

"COMING," Ginny shouted back. "I thought I could get out of it too." Ginny sprinted back towards the house, conveniently leaving Harry and Luna by themselves.

"How are the lessons with Remus coming along?" Harry asked, sitting on the grass.

"Only had one, but it was okay…I guess." Luna replied, joining Harry. "I've been reading books on it though, it's fairly interesting."

"That's good." They both sat in a comfortable silence for what seemed like hours.

"Do you still like Ginny?" Luna blurted out, not really thinking about her actions. Her hands flew to her mouth as she stared at Harry in horror. He looked back at her quizzically, surprised in the sudden outburst.

"I care for her, but not in a way that is meant for dating," Harry said slowly. "I see her like a sister; I started seeing her like that in the middle of our relationship. Frankly, it was too awkward for me to date her for that reason. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," Luna replied. The wolf inside her started awakening inside of her. _He's free for you to do whatever you please_ the wolf said inside her head. She smiled without realizing she was. Harry was looking back at her with great interest, studying her eyes.

"You're eyes look like they're silver, like really intense silver. I've never seen anyone's eyes like that." Harry responded. _OH SHIT_ Luna thought as she stood up abruptly. "Hey what's the matter?" Harry questioned as she made her way to the house.

"No-nothing, I just…uh…have to write Remus about the next lesson" Luna lied, feeling the wolf inside of her jumping up and down in the pit of her stomach. "I'll talk to you later." She gave a quick wave as she sprinted back to the house and to her room.

"Why the hell did you do that?"She yelled out loud to her inner wolf.

_I just merely responded to what you were thinking_ It responded swiftly

_I wasn't thinking of Harry in a sexual way, thank you. _She thought inside her head, aware that someone might be listening.

_Though this may be true, I was reacting toward the way you think about him. _It said smoothly.

_I only think of him as a friend. __Nothing more._ Luna shouted in her head.

_Are you sure about that? I can see what's truly in your heart, you can't lie to me._

_I'm…well, no I can't like him_ Luna defiantly thought.

_Can and want are two different things, dear __puella__You say you can't like him, but I say you want to like him._

"SHUT UP!" Luna shouted out loud. She sat down on her bed and waited for it to reply, but it said nothing. She finally slid onto her bed, pondering over her thoughts. Whatever she thought about, it always somehow ended up thinking about Harry. Something abruptly dawned in her head, and her eyes widened in shock.

_Holy shit, _Luna thought. _I have a crush on Harry Potter._

**Realization is a great thing, isn't it? Haha, I'm not sure when I'll be able to update. I've got a lot of stuff going on in the next couple of weeks. As always, reviews would be amazing**


	4. Improper Greetings

**A/N: This one was originally two chapters, but I decided just to combine them. So, it's gonna be much longer than usual. Not that you guys mind (or at least I hope not). As always, review and let me know you're thoughts. **

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"Hermione, where are we?" Luna inquired as she looked around the vast building filled with muggles roaming in different directions. Neon letters glowed on top of an assortment of different rooms. Ginny and Luna stood closely to each other, perplexed looks gracing their faces.

"It's called a shopping mall, silly," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "You buy clothes and a whole bunch of other stuff here. Don't be so scared, guys. You'll survive."

"I don't know, those headless bodies over there are pretty creepy." Ginny pointed her hand towards one of the stores nearest to the group, the bodies frozen in place.

"They're called mannequins. They display clothes to entice people to come buy their products. And it seems like they're working…because I want to go in." Hermione chuckled at the look on the two girls' faces and led them into the clothing store. Luna's eyes traveled along the assortment of clothes that seemed to fill up the store. People, mainly girls, were gazing at the clothes skeptically, making sure they picked out the right outfit.

"Tell me again, why are we here?" Luna asked again, overwhelmed with the situation.

"Because, dear Luna, we all need new clothes that doesn't come from Diagon Alley. Plus," Hermione added with a whisper. "Muggles have a better fashion sense." Luna nodded her head and decided to venture out into the unknown of muggle shopping. She pulled out various types of shirts and skirts, not really finding anything that suited her. She looked up and saw an eager Ginny sprint over to the other side of the store, her arms filled with clothes. Luna searched the room again and saw Hermione looking at a pair of shoes with the same skeptical look that most of the girls were giving. Finally, Luna's eyes landed on a shirt that very much resembled a Kimono, except that it had a sophisticated v-neck and loose sleeves. It had a deep purple floral pattern on it, with the rest of the shirt a cream color. Luna smiled brightly at her discovery and pulled it off the rack.

"Nice shirt!" Hermione exclaimed, smiling down at the shirt. "The dressing rooms are over in the corner if you want to try it on."

"Thanks." Luna responded, walked towards the line of girls waiting patiently for a room. After about a 3 minute wait, Luna was escorted by a sale's associate into a room the size of a closet. Luna thanked the girl and closed the door behind her. She slipped her t-shirt off and quickly put on the kimono like shirt. The fabric felt cool against her skin. She turned around slowly to examine herself in the mirror, and immediately fell in love with it. It hugged her in the right places, but didn't look trashy. Her mind already was set into buying the shirt. With a quick squeal, Luna changed back into her clothes and ran out to find Ginny and Hermione. "I love it!"

"Cool, I found so much stuff. Hermione, did I ever mention I love you?" Ginny said as she struggled holding all of the clothes in her arms.

"How are we going to pay for this?" Luna questioned softly, sifting in her pocket and pulling out galleons.

"Don't worry, I know a spell." Hermione whispered. She took a quick glance around the store and pulled her wand out discretely. She muttered something under her breath and the money turned into colored paper money.

"Bloody hell," Ginny whispered, not caring to hide the surprise in her voice. "Who knew Hermione had a bad side."

"Shut up and pay for your clothes you two." Hermione said quickly with a small smile spreading across her face. The girls paid for their clothes, and continued to shop for most of the day.

"Who knew muggles could think of stuff like this," Ginny voiced. "I mean, you'd think they'd be able to figure out what magic is."

"Well thank God they haven't," Luna chimed in. They giggled as they carried their many bags through the streets of London.

"I can't wait till school starts!" Hermione exclaimed happily as they opened the doors of the Leaky Cauldron.

"Well, of course _you_ would. You're Head Girl," Ginny responded hotly. "Who's Head Boy?"

"Who knows, I won't find out until the meeting on the train." Hermione answered, suddenly thinking about who the lucky boy might be. "Probably someone from Ravenclaw."

"Oi, how are things with you and Ronnikins?" Luna questioned jokingly. Hermione gave her a playful glare before responding.

"We're dating, just so you know."

"FINNALY," Ginny exclaimed loudly, causing costumers in the store to stare at them quizzically.

"Could you be any louder?" Hermione hissed, her cheeks getting a touch of red.

"Probably," Ginny replied coolly, giving Hermione an innocent smile. Someone cleared their throat behind them, and the three girls turned to find the source of the interruption. Ron and Harry stood behind them in casual muggle clothes, Harry looking more comfortable than Ron. Ron gave a goofy smile towards Hermione and indulged her with a tight hug. She squeaked in response, but returned the affection just the same. They smiled at each other before noticing the looks they were getting from their audience.

"Honestly, we're not snogging, so sod off," Hermione snapped at the group. Ron's smile grew wider and his hold on Hermione became tighter.

"That's my girl," He said happily as he gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead. She blushed deeply at the sign of affection. "So, where are we off to today ladies…and Harry."

"I have to get some new books in Diagon Alley," Hermione responded. "And I need to get a new potions kit."

"I NEED to get new Quidditch uniforms," Ginny answered. "Mine are way too small now."

"I don't really need anything," Luna replied softly.

"Neither do I," Harry said nonchalantly. Harry turned to her a flashed her a toothy smile, making Luna's stomach flip. Knowing that she had a crush on Harry almost made it unbearable to look at him without her wolf thinking other thoughts, thus causing her heat to be increased. She quickly looked away from him, not wanting her wolf to make itself known through her eyes.

'_Don't think you can ignore this forever, dear child_' it said sternly.

'_I'll try my damn best_'Luna responded angrily.

"Well, I'm going to go with Hermione to the book store." Ron said happily, but then noticed Harry. "Sorry mate, you know how it is."

"It's quite alright." Harry retorted. "We'll find something to do."

"Alright then, see you guys later." Hermione replied as she linked arms with Ron and made their way to Diagon Alley.

"So, what do you guys want to do?" Luna asked the two exes.

"Go to the Quidditch store!" Ginny exclaimed as she ran in front of them. Harry chuckled at her and walked with Luna.

"She's a wild thing," Harry said after a few minutes walking to the store.

"Wild is an understatement." They soon came up to the store and saw and eager Ginny jumping up and down, waiting for the other two to show up.

"Come on," Ginny yelled. "You two are so slow." The three walked into the bustling store as Ginny made her way over to the sales associate.

"It's pretty crazy in here!" Luna shouted over the voices of the many people that occupied the small space.

"It's insane!" Harry shouted back. "Let's just wait outside." They made their way to the door and stood out in the comfortable weather.

"What do you think of Hermione and Ron?" Luna asked eventually, not sure what else to say.

"It was bound to happen, just glad it finally did." Harry voiced with a grin on his face. The grin slowly faded, however, as he looked past Luna. Luna followed his gaze and saw platinum blonde hair in the large crowd, and it moved right in their directions. "Shit, exactly what I need." Harry muttered under his breath. "Maybe he won't see us."

"Hopefully," Luna responded. Luna watched as the distinct hair of Draco Malfoy continue to head in their direction. Finally, Luna got the sight of his dark grey eyes and chiseled face. Though Draco had the personality of Satan himself, no girl could deny that Draco wasn't attractive in the least bit. His thin lips seemed to always be in a permanent smirk, and his grey eyes seemed to bore straight through you. His

hair was always sleeked back with gel, and his body seemed to give an aura of properness. Luna knew that by looking at his for so long would give a greater chance of seeing them, so she turned her head quickly. Unfortunately, it wasn't quick enough. Just as she was about to face Harry, she saw Draco's head turn swiftly in their direction and his eyes land on her.

"Well, well, well. Who do we have hear? Is Potter-head giving you a hard time, my dear?" Draco purred to Luna. She felt bile rising in her throat, but resisted the urge to throw up, no matter how funny it would be to throw up on Draco.

"You back off Malfoy." Harry threatened, the anger evident in his face and voice.

"Sod off Potter, you don't have your friends to help you now. Plus, can't you see I'm conversing with someone of more importance than you?"

"I can speak for myself, thanks." Luna said irritably at Draco. He turned his head towards Luna and gave a large smirk.

"Well then, my lady, how about you walk with me today?"

"How about I throw up instead?" Luna snapped back. Harry stifled a chuckle at the shocked look on Draco's face.

"What did you say?" Draco hissed towards her, his face inching closer towards hers.

"I said, I would rather have bile and all of my stomach's contents come out of my mouth rather than the thought of me being civil towards you, dumbass." Luna smiled at her clever response, knowing her father probably would be proud.

"You are ignorant of who you are talking to, love. I am Draco Malfoy." He looked at her, waiting for the giddy response that he got from Slytherin girls. Instead, she just stared blankly at him, not giving him the light of day. "I'm _the_ Draco Malfoy." He said again, with a slight tone of anger in his voice.

"So? I don't care for ferrets, thank you." Luna said, again giving herself a mental high-five at the witty remark.

"How do you know about that?" Draco said dangerously low.

"I was there. I'm guessing you don't realize who _you _are talking to, slimy git. My name is Luna Lovegood." Draco's face contorted in disbelief as he realized who he was trying to flirt with. Somehow, Draco was able to recover.

"Even if you are Luna, love, you have caught my eye in ways that no one has been able to. I promise you that I shall be the best of all the men you have been in a relationship in your life."

Luna was shocked that he was able to cover up, but she knew exactly how to push his buttons. She gave him what she hoped was a seductive smile, and walked somewhat closer to him. Apparently, her smile worked because Draco's smirk widened and Harry looked like a kid that found out that Santa Claus wasn't real. She brought her head close to his ear and whispered, "Well, I promise you that if I were to be with you, you'd be the worst of all the men I've slept with." Harry roared in laughter and Draco yelled in frustration.

"Why don't you take a hint, Malfoy, and leave her alone." Harry said, humor etching his voice.

"You'll learn better, Luna Lovegood. This I promise you." Draco said evilly as he stared her down darkly. "You'll see what you've done."

"I'd like to see you try," Luna replied with darkness. They stared each other down until Draco eventually moved away from them, stomping his feet onto the cobble stone.

"That…was amazing" Harry said after he was able to stop laughing. "Have I ever told you I love you?" Harry said as he gave her a big hug. Luna's heart tugged inside her chest at his words, knowing he didn't mean it in a romantic way. She smiled softly at Harry and just laughed at him, not sure what else to do. It seemed to suit him just fine, because he let her go and he laughed too. "I wonder what's taking Ginny so long."

"Who knows," said Luna, having a hard time controlling her sudden sadness from being evident. _'I wish he really meant his word'_ Luna thought sadly. _'Alas, it will never be. I should just get over this petty crush while I can._'

"Hello kids," Remus greeted them warmly. He seemed to be in better spirits than when she last saw him, though his body slouched in exhaustion. She remembered that the full moon was only last week, so he must still be feeling the effects. Harry and Luna greeted him and he continued to talk. "If you wouldn't mind, Harry, I need to steal Luna away and talk to her on…private matters."

"Oh, you mean the wolf thing?" Harry questioned. Remus stared at him for a long time, before he nodded his head slowly. "It's all good; I'll tell Ginny where you are."

"Thanks Harry," Luna said. "I'll see you back at the house." They both smiled back at each other before she turned to look at Remus. His eyes were very large as he stared at the back of the retreating Harry before he spoke again.

"How in the world does he know?" Remus questioned sternly, with a disapproving tone.

"Well, the twins invented something called extendible ears, and it allows you to hear what's going on in another room. I was talking to Ginny about it and Hermione, Ron, and Harry were listening to our conversation." Luna explained quickly, faltering under Remus' stern gaze.

He gave a small chuckle and smiled at her warmly. "For some reason, that doesn't surprise me. But I digress. We need to have another lesson before you go to school. I rented a room in the Leaky Cauldron so we could talk privately, so if you would follow me." She nodded her head and followed the grown man a few steps behind. It only took them a few minutes to reach the room he rented. With a flick of his writs, Remus closed the door and put a silencing charm on the door.

"First of all, we will be having lessons when you are at Hogwarts." Remus stated. "It's especially vital that we do it then, because you'll have much more boys chasing after you." Luna blushed slightly, but Remus ignored this. "I will send you a letter a few days before and where to meet me. Don't worry, Dumbledore knows all about it and has allowed you to be out late." Remus began pacing the room, obviously debating something in his mind. He looked at Luna cautiously before he questioned, "Do you know anything about what type of loup-garou you are?"

"Honestly, I haven't."

"Well it's vital to know, and luckily I know." Remus sat a good distance away from her on the bed. "All werewolves have a certain ancestry, much like people do. It usually determines exactly how they act when transformed, and other character traits. The ancestries usually are Lycaon, Cicatri, Brenin, An Huen, Se Los Reyendos, Aker, Plachuyushiye, and Hecate. My ancestry is Cicatri, which is characterized with great love for meddling in human affairs. Your heritage is Aker. One famous Aker is Cleopatra herself."

"She was a werewolf?!? But I never–"

"Of course you never read about it in books you'd find in the library, Luna. She didn't want to be known as a werewolf. But it is well known if you are a werewolf in the werewolf community. Akers shared love of wisdom and philosophy and magic. They loved to study an aspect of their own nature, but they preferred to examine their animal nature, studying wolves and their cousins. However, you aren't completely Aker. Since your mom decided she wanted to be extra special, she decided she wanted to share two ancestries. She mixed the Aker with the Plachuyushiye. The Plachuyushiye are great practitioners of old fey, wolfish, and human ceremonies. They are also known as the 'melancholy werewolves.' They are the original source of werewolves, so they're pretty important. It's very rare indeed to have a mixture of two different ancestries in a loup-garou puella, but it still possible. There tribes still exist today. Which brings me to my next point: you are going to have to get acquainted with werewolves."

"Well, you're a werewolf." Luna finally responded. "Doesn't that count?"

"Sort of, but you still need more contact. After all, I live mainly in the human world. You'll need to visit the ones that live out in the wild. For right now, you'll only meet female werewolves. Later on you'll meet some male werewolves." Remus expressed, his amber eyes searching deeply within her own.

"When will this happen?" Nervousness was very evident in her voice, even though her face looked calm and collected.

"Not until later, much later to be in fact. You need to learn proper ways of acting around werewolves. I'll be starting that today, if you don't mind."

"Not at all," Luna replied quickly, somewhat curious into how it is done.

"Well, to greet a werewolf, you have to breathe in their scent near their neck. Like so," Remus bent down towards her neck, so close she could scarcely feel the outline of his lips. Then, she heard him take in a deep breath and looked up towards the sky, his head still right beside her neck. Once he moved away from her, he then bowed his head while keeping eye contact with her. He straightened up again and stated, "There it is, very simple. How about you try?"

"Alright," Luna said hesitantly. She started towards him as she slowly tilted her head towards his neck, when she got close enough, she engulfed the animalistic smell that was distinctive to Remus. She started to back away from him exactly as Remus did. Her cheek accidentally brushed up against Remus' and she mentally prayed that it didn't affect the procedure. Something seemed to shoot through Remus when she touched his cheek, and she felt the surge of energy seep into her. She stared bowing, keeping eye contact with Remus, and noticed a change in his stance, almost looking alarmed and looking at Luna skeptically.

"Did I do it wrong?" Luna questioned after Remus didn't say anything.

"It was good, but you don't brush cheeks. I know you didn't mean it…but it comes across as the wrong idea."

"What does it mean, then?"

"Well, that's the signal that you would give to someone that you're interested in mating with them." Remus said cautiously, feeling the extent of awkwardness. She immediately turned maroon.

"HOLY SHIT! I'm so sorry," Luna exclaimed, mortified at what she was asking for unknowingly.

"It's alright, I knew you didn't mean it. Just be careful next time. Anyway, the next thing you'll have to remember is that you don't eat until you are told to do so. Werewolves act much like wild animals in packs. The alpha werewolf eats, and then decides who gets to eat next."

"I figured as much." Luna responded.

"Also, do what the alpha werewolf asks at all times. You don't want to piss him or her off. When other werewolves are bowing, you need to bow too. It's seen as disrespect if you don't respond. There are more rules, but ones that I won't be able to teach you, for you must learn from a female."

"Why is that?" Luna questioned again, absorbing the information with a sponge.

"They'll be teaching you about the mating ceremony."

"Oh, I see." Luna finally said. "Do I really have to do this ceremony?"

"Yes, unfortunately," Remus responded, pity apparent on his scarred face. "It's something all werewolves had to go through. Oh, I almost forgot," Remus got up quickly and picked up a very ancient book that Luna hadn't noticed. He held it in front of her and then explained, "This book was written by a female werewolf. Since I won't be able to give you all the guidance in _female_ traditions, this should give you a basic understanding. Memorize it, for you must know these traditions. Once you meet the female werewolves, they will be able to help you understand more. But for now, read every little word on every page."

"I will; I promise." Luna said as Remus placed the book in her hands. The leather was extremely soft, and the yellow pages were thin as a spider's web.

"Alas, I have to leave you for another Order meeting. I shall contact you when the time comes." Remus made his way over to the door."

"Wait," Luna inquired. "Any news on dad?"

Remus looked at Luna remorsefully and said, "I'm afraid not. We're trying our best." Luna nodded her head slowly, her heart cracking a tiny bit in her chest. "I promise you we will find him." Luna looked up at him with eyes full of sorrow. She stopped the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes. Remus put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and gave a weak smile. "Have you told anyone the truth?" He finally asked.

Luna shook her head vigorously. "I don't plan on telling Harry, if that's what you're asking. Maybe Ginny; she already suspects something."

"She's always been a clever girl, much like her mother."

"Yes she is; she noticed my eyes when they first came over to my house."

"I'd probably explain it to her then, since once she figures out…she might make a scene in front of a lot of people."

"I'll tell her on the train tomorrow. I guess it will be a good time."

"I really need to go, Luna. I'm sorry to cut this short. If you need me, just write." Remus patted her shoulder quickly and with a loud pop, he was gone. Luna sat back down on the bed, many thoughts zooming through her mind.

'_How am I supposed to bring this up to Ginny? I can't just blurt it out. What will Harry think if I keep this from him? It's something that will shatter his world, and he has a right to know. But what if he hates me for not telling him sooner? What will Ginny even think? I've kept it for so long, and now I have to start opening up to the world around me. I'm scared shitless.'_ Luna realized what time it was, and left the room quickly with shopping bags and the ancient werewolf book in her hand.

"What kept you?" Ginny said once she caught sight of her in the lounging area of the Leaky Cauldron.

"Sorry, Remus had a lot to explain." Luna said quickly, feeling suddenly awkward with Ginny. She pushed back her previous thoughts about telling Ginny her clandestine information, and plastered a smile on her delicate face. For once, Ginny didn't question Luna as if she was a fugitive.

"We have to get back before mum flips a shit." Ron said quickly, a worried look upon his face. Harry and Hermione laughed at Ron's fear of his mum, and Hermione gently touched his arm. Luna's eyes formed slits, jealously coursing through her veins.

'_I don't like that girl.'_ The wolf growled in her head.

'_She's dating Ron. She wouldn't do anything like." _She responded hotly. It seemed to shut the wolf up for the time being. Luna looked at Ron and noticed his change of attitude, as he clenched his jaw and balled his hands into fists. She could feel the anger radiating off of him. Before Ron could react, Luna stepped in.

"We should go now." She said cautiously, everyone now eyeing Ron. Hermione gave him a questioning look, but Ron grabbed Hermione roughly and pulled her right next to him. Hermione and Ron exchanged death glares, but kept silent.

"I'll go first!" Harry suggested, everyone eager to escape the argument that was about to erupt. He grabbed some floo powder and disappeared in the green flames. Ginny and Luna decided to go next because Ron started opening his mouth to initiate the argument.

"I suggest we hide." Harry suggested right when Luna and Ginny arrived. When they decided to make a move to hide, however, Hermione and Ron arrived in Luna's living room in the height of their argument.

"WHY DOES IT MATTER THAT I TOUCHED HARRY?!?" Hermione screamed loudly. Her hair seemed to be extra frizzy in anger.

"BECAUSE, YOU WERE FLIRTING WITH HIM!" Ron roared right back. His face was red with anger, and his hands were flailing in the air.

"I WASN'T FLIRTING WITH HARRY!"

"WELL IT SURE DAMN LOOKED LIKE IT!" Ron got dangerously close to Hermione, and Hermione held her head high, challenging him to step closer.

"WELL, SCUMBAG, YOU SURE LOOK AT LUNA IN A WHOLE NEW LIGHT NOW THAT SHE'S GOT BOOBS!" Hermione screeched. The color in Luna's face drained as she was somehow pulled into the argument. Ginny stared at Luna in horror.

"I'M NOT THE ONLY FUCKING ONE TO LOOK AT HER! HARRY BASICALLY DROOLS OVER HER!" Ron howled. Harry turned beat red at this, but Luna smiled internally at it. The wolf inside gave an appreciated growl and felt her heat rise inside her body.

'_He likes your anatomy.'_ It purred.

'_This isn't the time to be thinking about sex. We're in the middle of an argument.'_

'_The red head boy isn't as good as the dark head, but he could work.' _It thought.

'_No! I refuse._' Luna shouted in her head, and then brought her attention back to the argument.

"I DON'T GIVE A FUCK WHO HARRY LOOKS AT!" Hermione roared. The three innocent bystanders stared at Hermione, since it was the first time they had heard Hermione cuss.

"YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHO I CAN OR CANNOT LOOK AT!"

"WELL YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHO I CAN OR CAN'T TOUGH, DUMBASS!"

"OH YES I CAN!"

"YOU'RE BEING SO IMMATURE, RON!" She stomped a foot on the ground, glaring at Ron with all the hatred in the world. Ron returned the same feeling back

"YOU KNOW WHAT? MAYBE I WAS WRONG INTO LIKING YOU. MAYBE…JUST MAYBE I SHOULD DATE SOMEONE WHO ISN'T A TOTAL KNOW IT ALL BITCH! LIKE LUNA!" Ron forcefully grabbed Luna's arm and smashed her right into him. She inwardly groaned at the extent that Ron was trying to take the argument to.

"You wouldn't dare." Hermione said in a dangerous and low tone. Harry stepped over to Hermione to try to calm her down, but seemed to do the exact opposite. "WELL IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT, I'LL JUST DATE HARRY, SINCE HE AT LEAST KNOWS HOW TO CAST A SIMPLE SPELL!" She grabbed Harry's arm and firmly placed it around her shoulder.

"GO TO HELL!" Ron roared at her. "NOW THAT WE'VE BROKEN UP, ALLOW ME TO DO THIS!" Ron whirled Luna around slammed his lips onto her own. All the alarms in Luna's head went off, causing a

great headache. She tried her best to pull away, but Ron's hands were firmly placed on the side of her face. The wolf inside her pranced at the new action, and tried to urge Luna to respond. Luna was able to fight off the wolf and eventually pushed Ron off. When Luna turned to Hermione, she flinched at the hatred that was coming from her eyes. Not to be outdone, Hermione grabbed Harry and practically shoved her tongue down his throat. Harry looked like a fish out of water as he tried squirming out of her grasp. She let go shortly after and Ron gave a menacing glare.

"I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY!" Hermione shouted at Ron.

"OH I AM!" Ron screamed.

"FINE!" Hermione took a step towards Ron.

"FINE!" Ron took another step towards Hermione

"FINE!!!!!!" They shouted together in each other faces. Hermione grabbed Harry and dragged him up the stairs, and Ron turned and punched the nearby wall.

"Well, I'll go talk to Hermione." Ginny whispered in a small voice. She sprinted quickly up the stairs, a perplexed look upon her face. Luna stood still on shock at the events that happened within a few hours.

'_I got hit on by Draco, I accidently ask Remus to mate with me, and now I'm dating Ron against my will.'_ She thought angrily. She walked over to Ron and placed a hand on his shoulder. He whirled around and looked at her angrily, but then calmed down slightly. "I think you should go talk to her." Luna said cautiously.

"The hell with her," Ron grumbled. "I don't need her. Plus, I guess we're dating now."

"Just go talk to her, I'm sure she doesn't like Harry in that way."

Ron snarled at the mention of Harry. "She made out with him. I think that constitutes as liking someone."

"Well, you just kissed me, but you don't like me like that."

"I like you enough," Ron began. "You're pretty hot. Hermione was right in me looking at you, but I mean it's impossible not to!"

Luna blushed at his words. It was the first time she had ever been called hot by anyone. "That's just because I'm in heat. Please go and talk to Hermione."

"She can come up to me first if she likes me enough." Ron shouted, much resembling a five year old. "Until then, we're dating!" Ron gave her a fake smile and gave her a peck on the cheek. "See you later, love."

Luna stared at his retreating back, mortified at the whole situation. "Damn…hell….shit…FUCK!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. She kicked the edge of the fireplace, then quickly regretted it. "Ouch" she hissed through clenched teeth.

"Wasn't a smart idea, now was it?" Harry questioned, a small smile upon his face.

"Obviously." She mumbled softly. She sat down and rubbed her foot. "How did things go with Hermione?"

"The same as Ron took it. Apparently we're dating until you and Ron break up."

"Oh well, Ron and I are dating until Hermione talks to him." Luna said, laughing at the immaturity of the two.

"Gods, we just had to get sucked into this didn't we?" Harry stated, taking a seat next to Luna. "Oh, how did the lesson go?"

"Good, learned how to greet a werewolf and other stuff." Luna answered, not really wanting to talk about her dad.

"Sweet! How do you do it?" Harry against questioned her.

"You really want to know?"

"Hey, it could come into use. You never know," Harry replied.

"Alright, we need to stand up though." They both stood up and she stood right in front of him. She moved her neck next to his head and took in a deep breath. His scent consumed her mind and she quickly became dizzy. The wolf stirred inside of her, begging to come out. She pushed it back as she bowed down to him, and then stood up straight. "That's all it is."

"Can I try?"

"Sure, I see why not." Luna replied. She watched Harry looked at her in full concentration as he bent his head towards her neck and took a small intake of breath. As he brought his head back up, he slowed down and brushed up against her cheek, much like she did earlier. She now understood why Remus looked at her oddly, because her vision blurred at the contact and her eyes immediately went to its silver color. She was sure Harry felt it too, because he stopped abruptly and looked down at her. Her breathing was much heavier than normal, and Harry stepped even closer to her. He ran his hands up her arm ever so slowly, as if he was trying to torture her. She closed her eyes and bit her lip at the touch. She opened her eyes and stared intensely at him. They both had the same look in their eyes, and moved their heads closer.

"I can't believe Ron kissed you Luna, it's so –" Ginny stopped abruptly right before Luna and Harry's lips were about to touch. The two flew away from each other as if the other was the bubonic plague.

"Oh my god," Luna whispered, staring at Harry in horror. "I'm so sorry. You…I…we…I'm gonna go upstairs."

"Yea, you do that." Harry said softly, his eyes extremely wide. Luna power-walked upstairs with a confused and curious Ginny right behind her.

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**Oh those damn hormones. Life's spicing up for poor Luna. Some in a good way, some in a bad way. Don't know when the next chapter will be up. I'm gonna be gone on my spring break for like a week and a half…so I won't have the time to write anything. Maybe I'll be able to squeeze a chapter in before I leave, so who knows. **

**As always, please review and let me know what you think. **


	5. Apologies, Goodbyes, and Awkward Moments

**A/N: WOOHOO TO GOOD REVIEWS! You guys are lucky that I'm posting this chapter, since IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! Haha, anyway, this is my last chapter for like 2 weeks, cause I'm going on vacation. Enjoy and review!**

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One talent that Luna was amazing at was avoiding people like the bubonic plague. It also helped that her house did have a secret room, in which the entrance is only available in Luna's closet. The room wasn't large, but not extremely tiny. It had a wool blanket, an extremely comfy chair, a lamp, and a small fireplace. She had begged her parents to have a secret hide-away when she was younger, and this is what she got. She ran to it whenever she was upset, contemplative, or fearful. On this occasion, it seemed to be all three.

She was curled up in the squishy chair, the wool blanket wrapped around her tightly. Her blonde tresses were disheveled, her blonde brows furrowed, and her eyes not focusing on anything in particular. _'What the hell was that about?_ Luna thought quizzically. _'I understand that I'm to attract guys in general, but his reaction was so different. He didn't just spring into action, like Fred did. Harry reacted in such a…__**caring**__ way. The way he stroked my arm, dear lord any girl would eat shit to have Harry Potter do that. It must have been when he rubbed his cheek against mine, that energy surge. Did some of the energy transfer over to him or did he react on basic instinct? Maybe it's just me over-analyzing the situation.'_

She shook her head softly, trying to get her mind off of her random musings of Harry Potter. _'Second thing,'_ Luna remembered. _'How the hell did I end up dating Ronald? Sure, it's an unethical relationship, but it was forced upon me. I'm going to have to talk to Hermione and convince her to talk to Ron. Right when I finally have Hermione's acceptance, Ron has to go and destroy it for me. How ironic.'_ Luna decided to finally venture out of her hiding place since she had already spent an hour in it already. When she crawled through the entrance, she could already tell it was late by the darkness in her room. She changed quickly into her PJ's and slipped under her covers. She took a deep breath of the scent of her bed. She wouldn't be sleeping in this bed for a few months, and she wanted to carry the smell with her. She closed her eyes slowly and began drifting into the land of dreams.

"EVERYONE GET UP!" Mad-Eye Moody shouted within the walls of Luna's house. Luna groaned at the rude awakening. She sat up slowly and looked around her now bare room. She had packed everything the day before, and the room looked uncomfortably bare. She hastily made her way to the shower, wanting to beat everyone else to it. Luckily, no one wanted to venture out of their beds just yet. She padded down the hall and into the bathroom quietly. She turned the knob on the shower and let the 

steam consume the room. Once the hot water made contact with her skin, she sighed in relief. The hot water seemed to do wonders on her knots and relieve the stress that tightened her body. She started to hum a song he heard in the muggle mall and began to wash her hair and body. Once she was rinsing the soap suds off her skin, she heard the door open quickly and shut behind her. Luna looked up with a start, her grey eyes looking worriedly at the shower curtain. She heard the familiar humming and groaned softly. Hermione was probably trying to fix her hair, creating a much more awkward situation that it normally would be. Luna was finished with her shower and stood awkwardly in the shower, water dripping off her body.

"You almost done in there, Ginny? I really need to get in there." Hermione questioned, oblivious to who exactly was in the shower. Luna put her hand out cautiously and felt for her robe. Once she found it, her hand zipped back into the shower and Luan shoved the robe on hastily. Luna pulled the curtain back slowly and saw the back of Hermione. Her hair was messier than usual, sticking up in odd directions. She was spitting out the toothpaste that was in her mouth when she looked into the mirror and saw Luna's reflection. She gave a menacing glare at Luna, threw her toothbrush onto the counter, and made her way to the door.

"Wait," Luna said remorsefully. Hermione hesitated at the door, but turned around to listen. Her eyes scanned Luna skeptically before she put her hands on her hips.

"What do you want?" Hermione snapped.

Luna looked down at her hands, trying to formulate the words in her head. "You have to reason with me," Luna finally uttered. "It's not my fault that Ron decided to act in such a childish way."

"Damn right he's childish." Hermione responded hotly. Luna brushed the comment off and continued to talk.

"You also acted in a childish way for making out with Harry like that…and don't even try to deny it." Hermione's mouth opened and closed, dumbfounded. "You know better than to act like that. You really need to talk to Ron, before it gets out of hand."

"You're right." Hermione whispered, looking at Luna with apologetic eyes. "It's just when I saw Ron kiss you, I felt something that I hadn't felt."

"I'm pretty sure that feeling is jealousy." Luna said knowingly.

"I figured as much. I've never had a real boyfriend. Sure, Krum was my first kiss…but that barely constitutes as a relationship. I love Ron so much. I can't see myself without him."

"Then go and talk to him." Luna urged. Hermione shook her head, resembling a five year old refusing to do as she's told. "Why not?" 

"Because Ron's too difficult to deal with right after an argument. He needs to cool off for a couple of days."

"Understandable, but you promise that you'll talk to him within the week?" Hermione nodded her head and smiled at Luna.

"Glad to have you back." Hermione said happily. "Now move so I can clean up." Luna moved out of the way and made her way back to her room, a wide smile upon her face. She closed the door to her room softly and dropped the towel on the floor. She rummaged through her closet, looking for a perfect outfit to wear. She finally decided to wear some of her new clothes she bought the day before. She smiled happily as she put on the dark wash jeans that made her butt huge (according to Ginny). She took a white tank top and a dark blue thin v-neck sweater on, the white tank top covering her cleavage modestly. She walked over to her silver jewelry box to get her radish ear rings. Even though her clothes were what is considered normal, she will continue to wear her own jewelry. She jiggled her head softly, the radishes bobbling against her ears. She grabbed her bottle top necklace and looped it over her head. She was about to walk out the door until she remembered that her wand was lying on her bed. She picked it up quickly, and stuck it behind her ear as she sprinted down the stairs to eat a well balanced breakfast.

"Someone's happy." Tonks said as Luna bounced into the kitchen. Her hair was in her favorite pink pixie cut, but this time here eyes were bright green. 

"Well, my dear, I get to go back to Hogwarts. Isn't that an occasion to be happy?" Luna inquired as she started scooping mixed fruit onto her plate. 

"I would say so." Tonks said absentmindedly as she read the newspaper. Luna shrugged her shoulders and began to eat heartedly. Slowly, but surely, Hermione, Ginny, and Harry made their way down for breakfast. When Ginny caught Luna's eyes, Luna could feel the unasked questions burning towards her. Luna knew the moment they were alone, she was going to be bugged until she answered. Eventually, Ron dragged himself down the stairs. At first, he didn't remember to events from yesterday and almost sat down next to Hermione. Then, as if the light switch flickered in his head, he gave Hermione an evil glare, and scooted next to Luna. Luna gave Hermione an apologetic glance, but Hermione waved it off with her hand. Ron grabbed random assortment of food and shoved it into his mouth angrily.

"This food's great," Harry said politely, trying to break the awkward tension.

"Thank you, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said with a warm smile. She looked strangely at her youngest son, and then anger popped inside of her. "RONALD! It isn't nice to look at people so, especially a young and fine lady like Hermione." Ron broke his trance with Hermione and gave his mum a pleading look.

"But, mum, you don't –"

"I don't care what's going on, but you need to apologize for such mannerisms." Mrs. Weasley said hotly. Hermione seemed to be enjoying Ron's awkwardness, a smirk evident on her face. Ron looked pleadingly around the room, begging for someone to help. Everyone avoided his eyes, and finally Luna nudged him in his side. Ron mumbled an apology under his breath. "Speak up!" Mrs. Weasley said testily.

"I'm sorry," He said loudly, obviously struggling with the words. Hermione just nodded her head and continued to eat, the smile still playing across her lips.

"Now that wasn't so hard, now was it? Oh! Look at the time! We have to make our way over to the train!" Everyone stood up at once, eager to break into their own groups. They found out that they will 

be taking cars driven by Mad-Eye and Tonks. Luna was sitting with Ginny in the car, waiting for the questioning to begin when Ron slid right next to her. For once, Luna was thankful Ron was there. Ginny gave an angry look at Ron before turning her attention to the window. Tonks started the car and sped over to the train station. All of the teenagers made sure that their belongings were safely in their pockets, shrunken for transportation, and walked swiftly into Platform 9 ¾. It was crowded with parents and children saying their goodbyes and lugging their stuff over to the gallivant train that waited patiently for its passengers. 

"I'll miss you so much!" Molly squeaked, her voice wavering and tears spilling out of her eyes. "Of all the years I've done this, it's never gotten easier." She pulled Ron and Ginny into a bone-crushing hug.

"It will be alright, mum." Ginny said slightly muffled because her mouth was covered by her mum's shoulder.

"We'll be good." Ron gave her and awkward pat on the back. Mrs. Weasley nodded her head and plowed her way over to Harry and Hermione to say her goodbyes. 

"It was nice meeting you, Luna," Mr. Weasley responded. "I would like to thank you for your hospitality."

"You're welcome."

"Luna, dear, you have been such a wonderful girl." Mrs. Weasley said. Luna felt the air being pushed out of her when Mrs. Weasley squeezed her tightly. "It must be so hard for you without your father. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to write me." 

Luna smiled at Mrs. Weasley's affection, reminding her much of her mother when she was little. At the memory of her, Luna's demeanor quickly saddened. She smiled weakly at Mrs. Weasley. "You have been great to me. Almost like…a mother."

Mrs. Weasley's face brightened at Luna's compliments, her eyes shining with a new wave of fresh tears. "I am glad you think so highly of me. Now, off you go before you make me cry anymore." Luna pulled away from Mrs. Weasley and wiped the tears off her cheeks. 

"My little adopted sister is leaving me!" Tonks said in mock hysterics. She pulled Luna into a small hug and then held her at arms length. "You behave yourself over there. I don't want to hear you cavorting with random boys, you hear me?"

Luna chuckled softly. "I hear you."

"Write me if you have any trouble with the heat." Tonks said warily. "I'll try to help as much as I can."

"You can write to me too," Remus said, sneaking up behind Tonks. She smiled lovingly at Remus before she stepped aside to allow Luna and Remus to chat.

"I'm going to miss you," Luna said remorsefully. She choked back the sob that was about to escape her throat. One thing Luna was horrible with was goodbyes, especially to people she cared for deeply. 

"I'll miss you greatly," He said. "You have had so much happen to you, and I hate to have you go through anything upsetting with out me. But, I can't baby you. You are a growing woman, and you need to have freedom." He stared long into her eyes, his eyes oozing with love and caring. Luna, wanting to hide the tears that spilled out for a second time that day, threw herself into Remus' arms, squeezing him much like Mrs. Weasley did. Remus returned with the same amount of strength. To Luna, Remus was one of the few people that understood exactly what she was going through. For that, she held a special place in her heart for him. She nuzzled her face in his chest, natural instinct taking over. He nuzzled her head too. 

"I better go," Luna said in a small voice. Remus merely nodded at her, trying to hide his emotions. With that, she walked onto the Hogwarts train to join her friends that were waiting for her. Luna looked back one last time before completely walking in. Remus and Tonks were standing together, watching Luna sadly. Mr. Weasley was comforting his crying wife, and Mad-Eye was standing there without any emotion. Luna laughed inwardly at Mad-Eye before she gave one final wave and began her walk down to a compartment.

"You alright?" Ginny asked once she entered the compartment. Luna nodded her head slowly and looked up to her best friend.

"I will be."

"He cares a lot about you, you know." Ginny said softly.

"Who's he?"

"Remus," Ginny replied. "He cares for you so much. It's very evident, especially in the way he just hugged you back there." Luna smiled softly. "Don't you worry, everything will be alright with him."

"I know it will, but it doesn't make saying goodbye any easier."

"Even though this may be true, he will always be there for you." Ginny rubbed her hand on Luna's back comfortingly. Luna leaned her head on Ginny's shoulder and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down.

"You know you're a lot like your mother." Luna finally said after a few minutes of silence.

"I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or as an insult." 

"It's meant as a compliment." Luna chuckled as she looked at Ginny.

"Then thank you." Ginny replied as she smiled widely at her. "How about I go get us some chocolate and pumpkin juice?" Luna nodded her head as she began to rummage through her purse. "Don't give me money, it's my treat."

"You sure?" Luna questioned, knowing that the Weasley's weren't known for their riches.

"Sure I'm sure." Ginny replied happily as she walked swiftly out the door. The train lurched as it began to move swiftly on the tracts. Luna curled up by the window, looking out to the countryside that whizzed by the window. After about 30 minutes, the door opened and Ginny walked in carrying tons of sweets in one arm, and some pumpkin juice in the other.

"Got enough food?" Luna asked.

"I could have gotten more." Ginny said as she plopped her arms contents onto the empty space beside Luna. "But that would mean we'd end up being 300 pounds by the time we got to Hogwarts."

"This is true." Luna said as she began munching on a sugar quill. As the sugary substance began to dissolve onto her tongue, she started to feel happier. Her face began to glow as her mind began to cheer itself up.

"Luna, can I ask you a personal question?" Ginny asked cautiously. 

'_The time has come,_' Luna thought wearily, but nodded her head for Ginny to continue.

"I saw you with Harry yesterday, and I've began to notice how you two act around each other."

'_I wasn't expecting this,"_ Luna thought again. _'What is she getting at?_'

"What I wanted to ask was, well, if you like Harry?"

"Of course I do," Luna said happily. "He's a very good friend."

"Don't give me that," Ginny said quickly. "You know that I can tell when you're avoiding something."

Luna sighed, being discovered for her attempt of shunning what she really thought. "Honestly, I guess you could say I have the smallest crush on him" Luna said quickly, her face turning extremely red. Luna was never comfortable talking about her crushes or love in general, particularly when the boy's ex is her best friend.

"I knew it! I think it's cute, honestly. And no, I don't care if you like him or not. I told you I was over him." Ginny said, answering Luna's unasked question.

"Is it that noticeable?" Luna nervously asked.

"No, not really, I just know you very well to be able to tell. Plus, when you two almost kissed, I figured that you two had something going on."

"Oh well, he doesn't know. I don't plan on telling him anything anyway."

"Why not?"

"For one thing, he probably doesn't see me in that light. When you saw us almost kiss, he had tried to greet me as if he was a werewolf. However, he accidentally initiated an invitation to mate instead, causing a surge to go between us both."

"I'm sure he likes you back. He's always thought highly of you. He even told me so when we dated."

Luna's ears perked up at this, as she stared at her friend wide eyed. "What did he say?"

"Whether you know it or not, you were one of the few people that were able to give him peace after Sirius' death. I don't know exactly what you did, but it helped him out tremendously. He talked about how you were there for him even when Ron and Hermione couldn't help him with what he was dealing with."

"But that doesn't mean that he likes me." Luna said slowly, taking in all the information Ginny just said.

"I beg to differ. I think it will take both of you awhile for you to accept the fact." At that moment, Harry walked into the compartment. "Speaking of the devil," Ginny said loudly, giving Luna a knowing look. Luna returned it with a warning look. 

"Is it alright if I join you guys? Ron's in a prefect meeting and Hermione's with the Head Boy." Harry asked awkwardly, his eyes darting between the two girls.

"Of course you can." Ginny said excitedly. She then tipped her hand over, causing pumpkin juice to spill all over her pants. "Oh would you look at that? I _accidentally _spilt my drink. I'm going to go clean up." Luna threw her a pleading look at Ginny sprinted away from the two, a smirk playing on her face.

Harry and Luna looked at each other awkwardly until Luna broke the ice. "You want a chocolate frog?" She asked.

'_More like will you sleep with me?'_ the wolf inside her purred. Luna ignored the comment and looked at Harry with what she hoped was a normal face.

"Sure," He replied, taking the candy out of her hand. He sad down across from her and ate the candy slowly. "You excited about going back?"

"Oh yes," Luna said dreamily. "You excited about your last year?"

Harry thought for a moment before responding. "In a way, I'm excited because I don't actually have to attend classes and do homework. But," Harry paused and looked down at his hands. "Hogwarts has been like a home to me. I don't know if I want to part from it just yet."

"I think Hogwarts seems like home to everyone." Luna finally said. "It's such a homey place."

"Yea, I guess you're right." On the outside, Luna and Harry were silent. But inside Luna's head, she was having an argument.

'_It would be great to have a home and cubs with him.' _The wolf said.

'_You need to shut up.' _Luna said angrily.

'_You know you agree.'_

'_Even if I do, doesn't mean I have to have commentary every time Harry says something.'_

'_You're the one not doing anything to win him over.'_ It spat.

'_I don't need to win him over.'_

'_If I was able to be in charge, there would be a lot of screaming…in a good way.'_

'_That's exactly why you're not in charge.'_ Luna said angry. 

'_Just watch me._'All of a sudden, Luna felt herself lift her hand and dropped her sugar quill. She stared at her arm in horror as she realized she no longer had control over her body. Harry leaned over to grab the sweet.

"Oops!" Luna's voice responded without Luna's control. "I'll pick it up, don't worry." Luna felt herself stand up slowly, keeping eye contact with Harry. She the turned her back to him and bent over, taking her time picking up the sugar quill. Luna felt her cheeks burning since her butt was right in front of Harry. She slowly slinked back down into her seat and smirked at Harry. His eyes were glossed over, and his mouth slightly ajar. 

'_I told you he'd like you.' The wolf smirked._

'_I loathe you, damn wolf.'_ Luna angrily yelled in her head. She had regained control of her body and slumped back into her normal sitting position. She stood up abruptly and began rummaging through her trunk.

"What's the matter?" Harry questioned as he watched her frantically pull out clothes. He eyed her up and down, astonished at the quick change of attitude.

"I'm going to go change into the uniform now, we should be somewhat close." Luna said quickly as she stomped over towards the bathroom. She opened the door angrily to see Ginny leaning up against the wall. "I hate you." Luna said as she went into the bathroom stall.

"Oh, you're just saying that. You secretly enjoyed it."

"No, actually, I didn't." Luna spat as she began taking off her normal clothes. "You caused my wolf to try to spring into action."

"Wait…what?" Ginny asked worriedly.

"Well, my inner werewolf decided that it would be so much fun to shove my butt into Harry's face."

'_Damn right I did and he loved it.'_ It said proudly.

"Really?" Ginny asked, a hint of laughter in her voice.

"Really really, and it isn't funny." Luna fumbled to button up her white shirt that seemed to be much tighter than last year. 

"How did he react?"

"Like any idiotic boy." Luna said as she slipped into her skirt, which also felt much tighter. She looked down quizzically at her clothes and walked out of the stall. "Do my clothes seem different to you?"

Ginny's eyes bugged out of her head as she stared at Luna. "They fit!" Ginny rushed over to her friend and walked around her slowly. "You must have grown into them."

"I hate this tight of clothes." Luna said as she attempted to stretch her shirt out. "It brings too much attention to me."

"You're going to have to get used to that, since you're a loup-garou puella and all." Ginny said knowingly. Luna looked at herself in the mirror and saw that the clothes did indeed fit her. Instead of last year's baggy clothes, her uniform now hugged her chest and hips, and emphasized her small waist. "This is so embarrassing."

"No it isn't, you're just not used to it." Ginny said happily as they began to walk out of the bathroom. When they were about to enter their compartment, they saw Ron and Hermione making out up against the wall. Ron had Hermione pinned, his hands roaming her body in ways that shouldn't be seen in public. Hermione's hands were running through his hair and a soft moan escaped her lips. "GROSS!" Ginny yelled, staring in horror at her brother.

Ron and Hermione flew apart from each other and looked up at Ginny and Luna. Hermione and Ron both turned different shades of red in embarrassment. "Next time get a room, a sister doesn't need to see these things." Ginny said hotly as she walked into the compartment.

"So I'm guessing you guys made up?" Luna said jokingly.

"Luna, I'm sorry for forcing myself upon you like that." Ron apologized. "I just wanted to make Hermione jealous, and you were the only other female besides my sister there, so yea."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't choose your sister," Luna began. "Or else we'd have to worry about incest." Luna and Hermione laughed heartedly as Ron's face contorted into disgust. The three of them walked back into the compartment and shared funny stories of the past school years for the rest of the train ride.

Luna walked out with her friends once the train finally stopped. She heard an assortment of cat calls from perverted guys. Ginny put a reassuring arm around Luna as the hastily made their way to the carriages. 

"Hey, how about you ride with me?" On boy from Hufflepuff asked as he grabbed Luna's arm when she attempted to get in the carriage. His chocolate eyes showed exactly what he wanted to do to her, and Luna cringed on the inside. His light brown hair was neatly brushed, and his handsome face held a seductive grin. "Or how about you ride me instead," His friends laughed at this comment, and Luna groaned out loud. Luckily, someone came to her defense.

"How about you let go of her, and act in a more civil way?" Harry growled at the boy. Harry stood right next to Luna with a protective hand on her shoulder. "Come on Luna, let's get on." She gratefully got on the carriage, but felt the boy's eyes on her. She turned around and saw him lick his lips, eying her up and down. She shuttered at the way she was looked at, much like prey. She turned back and smiled at Harry.

"Thanks for that."

"I told you, I would protect you whenever someone tried to do that." Harry said accidentally with anger. He took a second before he said calmly. "It's not fair that this has to happen."

"It's going to make my life interesting, that's for sure." Luna said jokingly. The group laughed as the carriages trotted their way up to the brilliant castle that waited for them. 

"LUNA!" A girl shouted with a heavy Scottish accent. 

"Constatine!" Luna squealed as she ran towards the auburn haired girl. Constatine's hazel eyes shined as Luna made her way over to her. She smiled happily as she engulfed her friend in a huge hug.

"I haven't seen you in so long, woman!" She screamed. "How was your summer?"

"Great! How was yours?"

"Amazing, I was able to go visit old friends in Scotland." Constantine responded. "Hey Ginny."

"Hey, what's shaking?" Constantine and Ginny giggled as they gave each other a hug.

"Oh, this is Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Guys, this is my friend Constantine McFarland." Constantine smiled warmly at the three elder teenagers. "She's in my year and in my house."

"Nice to meet you," Constantine replied. "Sorry to be so quickly, but Professor Flitwick told me to bring you to him."

"Oh, okay. I'll see you guys later then." They nodded as Luna followed Constantine to the teachers table.

"Ah, Ms. Lovegood," Flitwick said once he caught sight of the young girl. "There have been new arrangements for you since of your…condition." Luna nodded her head, already knowing that the teachers new of what she was. "Dumbledore has decided that it would be best if you were separated from the house, since you will be going through troubling times. The Head Girl will be showing you to your new room. Might I add that you are allowed to have visitors, but not in an inappropriate way."

"Yes, sir." Luna replied responsibly.

"Right then, off you go and welcome back." Constantine and Luna walked over to their table and began to converse.

"Your own room!" Constantine exclaimed as they sat down. "I'm so going to visit you all the time."

"That's fine by me," Luna said happily. "At least I'll be able to have a place of my own."

"So, fill me in on all the juicy details of this summer." Luna leaned towards Constantine and whispered an abridged version of her summer stories. 

"Shut up! Draco hit on you?" Constantine said.

"It was so hilarious. He was so damn angry when I refused him." Luna said in the midst of laughter.

"I guess it was because of your werewolf blood then." Constantine replied softly. Constantine was the first person to ever know about her condition, since Constantine was her first real friend at Hogwarts.

"Probably." Luna replied quickly as the sorting ceremony began. All the 11 year olds looked fearfully at the older students, and Luna smiled, knowing their own fear. Luna barely paid attention as the kids were sorted. Instead, she turned towards the Hufflepuff table and felt that boy's stare on her again.

"Who's that?" Luna leaned over to Constantine and asked. Constantine followed her gaze and noticed the boy.

"Him? That's Sterling Sams. He's a year ahead of us." Constantine said softly. "A huge player, apparently. He's gone through most of the girls in his year already. From the looks of it, he's got his eye on you now."

"Yea, he already asked if I wanted to ride him." Luna said nonchalantly. Constantine coughed up her pumpkin juice. She wiped her face with her napkin and looked up at her.

"What a scumbag." She said angrily. At that moment, Dumbledore walked in front of the crowd of young students and instantly, the crowd quieted.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, first years. To all the other years, welcome back. As always, the forbidden forest is forbidden. Mr. Filtch has reminded me to tell you that he has a list of all forbidden objects near his office, and that it would behoove all the students to look at the list. Alas, there isn't much to say this year, so let's eat before huger consumes us all." With a clap of his hands, an assortment of food appeared on the tables. Luna quickly grabbed some chicken and mashed potatoes and began chowing down. 

"There's going to be enough food, Luna. You don't have to eat it all." Constantine said as she watched Luna scarf the food down.

"I can't help it if I'm hungry." Luna said in between bites.

"Obviously." She continued to eat slowly as Luna continued to plow the food into her mouth.

"Hey Luna," Hermione said behind her. Luna turned around and gave her a small smile. "I'm supposed to show you to your room now."

"Alright." Luna looked back at Constantine apologetically. "You'll be okay?"

"Sure, I'm a tough cookie." Constantine said jokingly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye." Luna glided behind Hermione, feeling the stares of many guys following her every move. "Gods, this is so annoying."

Hermione turned to Luna and gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, hopefully they'll just stop after a week."

"I doubt that." Luna mumbled as they began their trek up the stairs. "So did Ron apologize for trying to snog with me?"

"Obviously after what you saw on the train."

"And did you apologize too?"

"Yes, Luna, I did." 

"Oh who's the Head Boy?" Luna questioned as they past the third floor.

"Don't you dare even talk to me about him." Hermione said, anger dripping off her voice. Luna stopped abruptly at Hermione new found hatred and stared at her wide eyed. "Honestly, if you want to know, it's Draco Malfoy."

"HIM?" Luna yelled to be immediately hushed by the nearby paintings. "Sorry. Why in the world would Dumbledore choose him?"

"Who knows, he obviously saw something in him…but now I have to spend a lot more time with the slimy git." They walked in silence partly because Luna didn't want Hermione to snap at her, and partly because there wasn't anything else to talk about.

"Where is this new room anyway?" Luna finally questioned.

"In one of the old divination towers," Hermione said. Hermione slowed down and eventually stopped in front of a picture of a familiar girl in a bright blue dress.

"Luna!" the girl squealed, getting off her swing and prancing towards the two girls.

"Hello Sarah." Luna said warmly, smiling at the little girl. Hermione raised her eyebrows at Luna in a curious manner. "Ginny and I discovered this room two years ago. We've been using it to talk to each other late at night."

"Ironically," Hermione started. "This is your new room." The little girl jumped up and down in delight, her blue dress twirling around her. "The password is: manticore."

"Sweet." Luna said happily as the little girl began to open the passage. When Luna walked in, however, she was taken back by the drastic change to the room. Before it was just an old and ancient room with dust and spider webs in every corner, but now it was a bright blue room with a fireplace, desk and massive bet. Luna saw her stuff was already neatly placed at the foot of her bed. She walked around the room in awe, soaking everything in.

"Not to shabby, I must say." Hermione teased with a large smile upon her face. "There's a bathroom over there," Hermione stated, pointing to the only other door in the room. "And you still have access to the Ravenclaw corridors. The password there is: jiggle sticks."

Luna laughed at the randomness of the Ravenclaw passwords and said goodnight to Hermione. Once Hermione was gone, Luna ran to her bed and dove on top of it. Pillows flew up into the air and landed 

sporadically on the floor. She giggled to herself at the sheer excitement of having a place of her own. She turned to her side and fell asleep, completely forgetting to change into pajamas.

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**So…what did you guys think? It will be very nice to get reviews (as always)**


	6. I Shall Call You Naked Mole Rat

**A/N: I am finally back from my much needed break. I've got some pretty good ideas for where to take the story. Oh the ideas are flowing, my friend. I'll try to update again so, but I can't guarantee it will be quick.**

The magical alarm in her room gave her a rude awakening to her very pleasant, yet random, dream. Groaning softly, she sat up in her bed to realize she slept in her uniform. Once again she forgot her dream…which seemed to be a reoccurrence recently. She rummaged through her trunk and pulled out her diary and jotted down quickly 'don't remember dream.' She tossed it lightly onto her bed. Luna expected to see her usual roommates, staring her down and whispering gossip and petty remarks. Instead, Luna's ears were warmly greeted with silence. Her room seemed to be much brighter than her old dorm, the light gracefully touching any and all objects. The grin upon her face widened to an un-humanly large smile.

"I love this!" Luna squealed as she sprinted into the bathroom. The sea foam green room was the perfect size, easily fitting a shower, toilet, sink, and a larger than needed bathtub. Jumping in the shower quickly, she cleaned up with a joyous step. After getting dressed, she pulled her hair into a messy bun, put on her usual, but unusual, jewelry and made her way to a guaranteed amazing breakfast.

"Good morning Constantine!" Luna said in a sing song voice. The girl turned around and smiled a toothy smile.

"Hola, my canine friend." Constantine giggled at their humor. Constantine's black curly hair bounced as she laughed. Finally, she was able to control her laughter and asked, "How's the room?"

"Amazing," Luna responded dreamily, sitting down next to her and grabbing food. "I have a massive bed and everything in it. Oh and you remember our hide out where we talk to Ginny? Well, turns out that that's my room!"

"Shut up! That's so cool." Constantine replied softly. "You see that group of girls down there?" She said in a low tone, tilting her head back towards Luna's former roommates.

"What about them?" Luna questioned.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that they are insanely jealous of you." Constantine retorted, a smirk evident on her freckled face. "They wouldn't stop talking about how skinny you were, and how hot you look."

"I'm not…_hot,_" Luna said sheepishly, hanging her head in embarrassment.

"Your appearance has changed Luna. You can thank your mom for those genes. Whether you like to admit it or not, you are very beautiful. Remember that everyone in Ravenclaw is supposed to be the smartest _and_ the most beautiful. Rowena Ravenclaw wouldn't have it any other way. She herself was beautiful. She appreciated beauty with brains, not just one or the other. Plus, you were always beautiful before, it's just that these idiots didn't notice it before."

"They only noticed Looney Lovegood."

"And now they notice only your outer appearance. Don't get caught up in the affection that you'll get from these boys." Constantine said with a wave of her arm. "They're thinking with their dicks."

"You always amaze me when you kill such a serious moment." Luna said after the funny remark.

"I try my best." She said as she ate her piece of toast. "Here's our schedules." Luna took the parchment and glanced at it quickly. The day's classes included Herbology, Care for Magical Creatures, and to her misfortune, Double Potions.

"Fuck," Luna swore loudly, causing many strange glances in her direction. "Why must I have Double Potions today?"

"Because Snape is out to get you." Luna casted her an evil glare as Constantine continued. "Hey, at least you have it after lunch, and then you have an hour break. I, unfortunately, have Transfiguration, Charms, and Ancient Ruins after lunch."

"We better go. We'll be late for Care for Magical Creatures." Luna took one last gulp of her milk and stood up slowly. Constantine stood with her, holding some toast. Luna scanned the Great Hall for no particular reason. Then she saw her Gryffindor friends also standing to go to class. Her heart fluttered at the sight of Harry laughing, his green eyes twinkling and his mouth stretching out in glee. These days it was rare to see Harry in such a happy state with the threat of Voldemort. Anything that made Harry happy must be something very special, and usually people became happy when he was. To Luna, it seemed to be a sign of hope in the world if Harry Potter is happy.

"Hey Luna," Ron said happily, rubbing the tears of laughter from his eyes. "How is the new room?"

"I love it. Thanks for asking Ronald." Ron shook his head and Luna's use of his full name, but she continued none the less. "What, may I ask, is so funny?"

"Well," Harry started. "Sine wee little ferret boy decided to try to pull off a trick last night, we thought it would be especially amazing if we did something to him."

"Fred and George have new products, you see," Ginny said happily, reminding everyone of the twins. "And they haven't tested them on anyone. I just so happened to have some left over. I picked out one of the weaker ones, since I want to save the best for last."

"So Ginny gave this mysterious product to me, and I crushed it up in his water. I asked Dobby to deliver the water to Draco this morning and to make sure he drank it. Now we just watch and see what happens." Hermione whispered. As soon as she finished, a loud gasp was heard over by the Slytherin table. The group turned their heads excitedly, looking for the source of the gasp. Pansy was scooting down the bench in pure horror as she stared at Draco. All of the hair on Draco's body seemed to be shrinking back into his skin, making him look very odd indeed. Draco, oblivious to what was happening to him, was yelling at everyone for staring at him. Finally, he caught his reflection in his goblet. His cold grey eyes seemed to be burning into the goblet as he became pale. An eruption of giggles followed from Luna's mouth, and soon everyone was laughing at him.

"Hey Draco," Luna shouted from across the hall. He looked up at her evilly, his fists clenched on the table. "I guess I can't call you ferret anymore. Now, I shall call you naked mole rat!" Everyone roared at her comment, and Draco just stood up and stormed out of the hall with his goons in toe.

"You have a knack for quick remarks." Constantine said in the midst of chuckles.

"What can I say, at least inherited something from my father." Luna said happily.

"So your father was a smart ass?" Harry asked as they walked out of the Great Hall.

Luna thought for a second, trying to figure out the correct words to say. "Yea, he pretty much was when he was younger. Always getting in trouble and whatnot."

"Seems like our dads could have been friends back in the day." Harry responded.

"Maybe." Luna replied slowly, but hesitantly. "Oh shit, I have to sprint to Care of Magical Creatures. I'll talk to you later."

"Alright, see you soon!" Harry yelled after her retreating form. Constantine soon was able to catch up to Luna. Once they were near the class grounds, Constantine grabbed Luna's arm forcefully and turned her around.

"When are you going to tell him the truth?" She said warningly.

"I don't know! It's just…so hard to even think of his reaction." Luna said remorsefully.

"He's going to find out sooner or later. You don't want him to find out through a different source."

"You, Remus, Dumbledore, and my dad know about it." She snapped.

"Yes, but, you said Ginny has been catching on. She noticed your eye color. It won't take her long to figure out who gave you those eyes."

"I know, I know. I just wish that I didn't have to tell them like this." Luna whispered as Hagrid made his way to the front of the group to begin his lesson. Throughout the lesson, Luna hardly paid attention to the words from his mouth. She was lost in her own thoughts, thinking about how exactly she would bring up one of her deepest secrets to Ginny and Harry. _'They'll change their opinion about me,'_ Luna thought sadly. _'Once I find good friends that take me seriously, I have to reveal yet another hidden attribute. Well, there's now way I can go around the bush with this. Who should I tell first? Ginny is one of my best friends, hands down. And she also is catching on very quickly. Then again, this directly affects Harry. He and Harry were so close, so does that mean he's more deserving to know first? I could tell them at the same time…actually, no. That would just mean too many questions at the same time.'_

"Alright class dismissed!" Hagrid yelled to the group of students. Luna blinked slowly and followed the rest of the class.

"Constantine," Luna began once she was sure no one was listening. "What if Harry doesn't like me after I tell him?"

Constantine gave Luna a quizzical look before she continued. "If he doesn't like you after, then he never was a true friend now was he?"

"No, I guess he wouldn't be. But, I mean, I don't know…that is…what if he…would he actually think of me like that…oh hell." Luna said throwing her hands in the air.

"You mean to tell me that my dearest Luna Lovegood has a crush on the famous Harry Potter?"

"Yes, I do. And I would rather you not talk about it in front of these students right now." Luna said hotly, embarrassed to even be talking about her crush.

"Don't think you'll weasel out of this one, because I have never heard you talk about anyone you've ever liked in a romantic way."

"Fine, but spare me the huge embarrassment right now."

"I guess I can do that for you." Constantine said with a warm smile. "Don't take my teasing seriously, Luna. You know that I'm just joking."

"Don't worry, I caught on in our 1st year." Luna gave her a small smile before she departed for the rest of her classes. Herbology went by smoothly, it was one of her best classes. All Professor Sprout talked about was the beginning of a new year and what to expect in the class. When she reached the dark and boiling dungeon, her somewhat happy mood quickly evaporated. With a loud bang, Snape walked in with is usual black robes that went up to his chin and all the way down to his ankles.

"Don't expect me to take today's class so easy like the rest of the faculty." Snape drawled out. "You are to begin brewing the potion that is written on the board. You may begin." Suddenly, the black board became filled with the tinniest writing, and there was barely any space of black. Luna groaned as she made her way to collect the material needed. For the first time in Luna's Hogwarts career, she was thankful for the menacing potion assigned. It meant that she didn't have to think of her troubles for the time being. She worked extremely hard, more so than she usually did. Snape would walk by, his beady black eyes staring down at her potion. He would never say a word which was his usual demeanor. Luna did her best to pay no attention to the revolting man. Finally, towards the end of the class period, Snape yelled for everyone to stop.

"Someone shoot me." A girl in her grade whispered behind Luna. Luna felt very much the same as the mystery girl. Beads of sweat where rolling down her face from the intensity of the heat. Finally Snape made his way over to her potion and examined it very carefully.

"Interesting." Snape drawled out. "For once it seems you weren't so idiotic to mess up a potion." Luna kept a stern face, but inside she was leaping for joy. "Good." With a flick of his wand, the potion was stored and he moved on to ridicule another student. He dismissed the class shortly after, and Luna 

couldn't be happier. Walking out with a slight skip to her step, she put her wand behind her ear and started whistling a simple tune.

"Well, isn't it my favorite female…" A familiar voice said huskily. Luna turned her head quickly, only to have her heart fall completely to her feet.

"What do you want?" Luna said with a dangerously low voice.

"Don't be so hasty, my pet." Sterling responded. "I just merely want to…see you." He licked his lips slowly.

Luna's body immediately tensed up. _'Damn it, exactly what I don't need.'_ Luna thought angrily before saying. "I don't want to see you, Sterling."

"You've figured out my name, good for you, _Lunette._"

"Don't you dare create a nickname for me." Luna hissed.

"I can do whatever I want to you. Once I get my hands on you, you'll never stop begging for more." He took a step towards her, trapping her against the stone wall. She silently prayed that he would just walk away and leave her alone, but of course he would continue to taunt her. His hand traveled ever so slowly down her cheek, and Luna turned her face in disgust. "I have never been turned down before, and it will never happen again. I promise you that I'll have you, whether you like it or not." Luna felt the complete fear erupting inside her. The fear was something she had never experienced, because she was sure that Sterling wouldn't leave her alone and would do anything to have her. She closed her eyes, preparing for whatever Sterling was going to do.

"Not on our watch you won't." Ron yelled as he made his way towards Luna. Hermione was close behind, her bushy hair bouncing with every step she took. Sterling released her from the trap, and Luna ran over to Hermione, a fresh wave of tears beginning to role down her face.

"Nothing was going on here." Sterling said calmly.

"We heard every word, Sterling. No back the fuck off or so help me God I will castrate you myself." Hermione hissed as she held a trembling Luna. Sterling gave Luna one last glare before he gracefully turned around and disappeared into the darkness. "Hush, Luna. It's going to be alright."

"Don't worry, we'll be here for you. Always." Ron said comfortingly. Luna nodded her head weakly, for the fear seemed to just take control of her bodily actions. Ron put an arm around Luna's shoulder in a friendly manner and began to lead her out of the dungeon area. "How about we go get some food, eh?" Again, all Luna could do was nod her head. The walked slowly for what seemed like hours before they arrived outside the Great Hall.

"Wait," Luna began. "I don't want to eat in front of…_him_." She spat the reference to Sterling out as if it was venom. "Can we just go up to my room and eat?"

"Sure we can, Luna." Hermione said motherly. "Do you want me to get the others?"

"Please," Luna said softly. "Make sure you get Constantine too."

"I wouldn't forget her." Hermione said before she bounded into the hall to gather food and the others. Ron still had his arm around her and was gently squeezing her shoulder. She liked the silence that followed after Hermione left. Ron, somehow, was able to transfer his calmness over to her. Luna decided then that it was silly for her to every have a crush on Ron, because he reminds her so much of a brother. That moment felt so loving in a brother-sister way that she could never see herself with him, especially since Hermione was with him. The silence was short lived as Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Constantine came bolting up towards them, piles of food upon many plates. Harry immediately went up right next to Luna and stood very close to her in a protective way.

"What the hell happened?" Harry snapped. His usually bright green eyes were dull in anger. Luna shuttered at his anger and prayed she would never be on the opposite end of it.

"Harry, calm down, maybe we should talk about this somewhere else instead of out in the open." Hermione suggested. Ron let go of Luna and took some of the food from Hermione. Harry immediately took Ron's place, his arm feeling more protective than Ron's. Hermione led the way up to Luna's room, no one talking. Harry kept Luna close to him, the anger still boiling inside of him. At such an odd moment, Luna felt little butterflies well up inside her stomach at the closeness. She noticed how warm his body was, and how she seemed to perfectly fit in the contours of his body. She liked the feeling. A lot. All too soon they were standing in front of the portrait of Sarah.

"Oh! We have visitors!"

"Yes, Sarah. Would you mind if they came in?" Luna asked sweetly. The little girl twirled her dress in a shy manner, eyeing Harry sheepishly. Harry's face began to blush, and Ginny snickered at his discomfort.

"I'd let you guys in anytime." The girl said somewhat boldly. Harry tried his best in hiding the blushing by hanging his head.

"Manticore." Hermione stated quickly. The girl took one more glance at Harry before she reluctantly opened. The group filed in into Luna's room. Ginny and Constantine gasped at the change to the room, while Ron and Harry just stared.

"This is so cool." Constantine cheered. She gave Luna a side hug and slid into a chair near the bed. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny sat on the comfy and soft couch. Harry refused to leave Luna's side, so they both sat on her bed.

"Will someone now please explain what happened?" Harry said harshly.

"Basically, Sterling announced that he would do anything to fuck me, whether it be willing or rape." Luna said angrily. She was still upset over what had happened, but not to the point of sadness. Extremely pissed off was more fitting. It was odd watching the reactions from her new and old friends. Hermione kept a stone face, probably a way she had learned to cope with harsh news. Ron, expectedly, looked uncomfortable and was trying to busy himself with fidgety hands. Constantine gasped loudly at the news, but nothing further came from her. It was Ginny's turn to become angry, her hands clenching 

tightly and her face red. Harry's anger seemed to evaporate as a look of immense care consumed his facial features.

"How can someone do such a thing." Constantine finally said. "Who in their right minds would want to rape someone?"

"Demented, he is." Ron said. "Luckily Hermione and I were there to hear the last bit, and see it."

"What did he do to you?" Ginny asked darkly.

"Not what you guys are thinking." Luna replied meekly. "He had me up against the wall and stroked my face. Nothing too damaging, but it was just enough to freak me out." She pulled her knees up to her chest and looked at the group before her. No one dared to speak, as if waiting for the other to say something.

Finally, Harry turned to her and spoke calmly. "I promised to ward of any unwanted attention, and I'll continue to honor it."

"We all will." Hermione finally said, taking a stand much like she did when the DA began. "We all care about you. Though some people may be on different levels on how much they care, we will protect you until he finally is gone." Luna was perplexed by what Hermione said about people being on different levels of likeness to her and she felt Harry stiffen on the bed next to her. She looked up at him quizzically. His eyes were wide, but he quickly adjusted and looked at her with a small smile.

"I'm so glad I didn't use the strong pill that Fred gave me." Ginny finally said. "We're so gonna use it on him."

"Not now." Constantine said logically. "Even though it sounds very nice to do right now, he would be expecting it from us. We should wait until he least expects it."

"For that is why you are in Ravenclaw, Constantine. Though, I do see some Gryffindor in you." Ron said. Constantine smiled at him for the compliment.

'_Maybe I should tell all of them right now, and get it over with.'_ Luna thought quickly. _'I think I'll do it. No backing out now.'_ Luna took a deep breath before she uttered. "I have something to share with you guys." Everyone's ears were now on Luna, something she never liked. Going on unnoticed for 5 years at school was something she adjusted to, and the new found attention seemed to urk her a lot. Constantine looked at her knowingly, silently asking if she was finally going to tell. Luna nodded in return. Constantine's eyes grew wide as she scooted her chair even closer to the bed. Her gentle hand held onto Luna's small hand in comfort.

"Understand that I have never told any of my friends this secret, save Constantine. This is much bigger than me being a loup-garou puella. Much bigger. Very few people know what I am about to tell you, and I would like it to stay that way." Everyone seemed to be on edge as Luna talked, only the sound of her voice echoing in the room. "The man you think is my father isn't."

"That's not a big deal, Luna." Harry finally said.

"But it is a big deal." Luna retorted. "The man that's really my father new your parents well, Harry. Very well, in fact. He knew all of you." Luna turned to all of them, seeing the confusion playing on their faces. "Unfortunately, I had to watch him die, but I wasn't allowed to show my emotions around you guys in order to protect the truth. I only had two years to get to know him, and now I feel more alone now that he's gone. He cared a lot about you guys, especially you Harry."

"Who is he then?" Harry said cautiously.

Taking a deep breath, Luna opened her mouth and said slowly. "My father is Sirius Black."

**Dun Dun Dun!! So out of left field, wasn't it? It was somewhat of a rollercoaster of emotions, sorry about that. Let me know what you think, as always.**


	7. Magically Delicious

**A/N: Another new chapter up. I couldn't help but continue writing after I posted the last chapter. I had to finish it while I had all the stuff I wanted to say on my mind. This chapter does begin somewhat depressing, then takes a whole different turn. Seems like I like writing rollercoaster chapters, doesn't it? Haha, anyway, hope you enjoy. **

_Taking a deep breath, Luna opened her mouth and said slowly. "My father is Sirius Black."_

What followed next was one of the most uncomfortable silences known to man. Luna dared not look at their reactions this time. Instead, she hung her head as if she was shameful. Unasked and unanswered questions floated thickly in the air. Anxiety began to form in her stomach, and Luna began fiddling with a piece of her hair.

Finally, Hermione brought out her Gryffindor courage and asked. "Did Sirius know he's your biological father?"

"Yes, my mom was pregnant with me when Sirius was arrested." Luna said. "They had planned to get married before I was born, but we all know that didn't happen."

"So, uhm, does the man we thought was your father know?" Hermione once again asked. It seemed no one wanted to ask the questions in the room.

"He always knew. I call him dad, while I called Sirius father."

"Well, at least you can treasure the time you spent with him." Ginny responded. Once again silence fell upon the group, and Luna's eyes finally dared to travel to Harry. His eyes were wide with a mixture of emotions that Luna couldn't decipher. His mouth was also slightly ajar. He just stared at her for a long time, and Luna stared back with uncertainty.

"Can we talk alone?" Harry finally asked the group. Immediately the other four stood up and made their way, but Harry never took his eyes off of Luna.

"I'll take notes for you, Harry." Hermione said.

"Sure." He responded absentmindedly. Finally the door shut behind them and Luna braced herself for the anger that would erupt from Harry.

"How did they know each other?" Harry asked hesitantly.

Luna looked at him surprisingly, unsure of his feelings. "They were at Hogwarts. She was in Ravenclaw like me. She was good friends with your mom, and since your dad was always after her, Sirius noticed her."

"How long were they together?"

"About 3 years, I think. One year was on and off."

"Why did she marry someone else?"

"Well," Luna began, turning her body to face him. He no longer looked surprised, but curious. "Sirius told my mom he didn't want me to grow up with the pressure of being the child of a 'mad man.' So they came up with a plan that she would marry an old friend of hers that knew about the pregnancy and claim it as his own. Xenophilius Lovegood and my mom eloped the next day and I grew up never knowing of Sirius until he escaped and came to our house. When I first met him, I was scared out of my mind. He was standing in my room, covered in dirt. I screamed, but Xenophilius came in and explained who he was. Sirius was crushed over the death of my mom a few years earlier when I was nine, but he proclaimed that he would always be there for me and be the father he never was. Since I was raised never to judge anyone before meeting them, I allowed him to care for me as if he was my father. I had to hide it from everyone, even from Constantine for the longest time. He was better than I ever expected he would be, and I formed a great bond with him. When I saw him die, I ... I couldn't handle it. I was able to hold off the tears, that is until I saw you. After we talked," Luna stopped for a moment, her tears spilling out of her eyes. Then, she continued. "I just lost it. I cried like a little baby. Constantine saw me, and I told her everything. She accepted it and helped me through the hard times."

Luna hung her head as the tears seemed to spill out faster. "I know you hate me." Luna sputtered, a wave of sadness consuming her for the second time that day.

"Hate you?" Harry questioned angrily. "How could I fucking hate you? I don't care that Sirius is your father, it just surprised me is all." Harry then angrily turned his head away from her and put it in his hands. "I just wished you'd told me sooner, so we could properly mourn his death."

At this point Luna was in a miserable state, mascara running down her face. "I'm so sorry." Harry looked up at her with puffy red eyes. Luna began bawling now, the death of Sirius very fresh in her mind. "I wanted to tell you so bad because you were someone who knew Sirius like a father, and I needed someone who understood."

"I miss him." Harry said in a small voice, his voice cracking from crying.

"I do too." Luna responded. Then Harry did something she never expected him to do. He flung his arms around Luna in a desperate hug. He buried his head in her shoulder and cried heavily. Luna clung onto him with the equivalent desperation. The smell of almonds filled her nostrils and Harry's hair tickled her nose. Feeling him sob in her arms just made her cry even more. She somehow ended up in Harry's lap, him cradling her like a small child. Somewhere out of instinct, she began to nuzzle the side of his face. He just held tightly to her until his tears subsided. He pulled away from her slightly, so they were both looking at each others faces.

"He was a great man." Harry finally said. "And he is probably really proud of you."

"He loved you like a son, Harry." Luna said, a small smile upon her face. "It's good to get this news off my chest."

"I'm glad you finally shared." Harry responded. "On that note, I do have to get to class."

"Oh yea, right." Luna stood up awkwardly, realizing that the whole time he was holding her in his lap. She felt somewhat giddy that she was able to get so close to him.

"I'll talk to you soon. And don't forget, you can always come to me about anything." Harry flashed her a brilliant smile.

"I'll remember." Luna said as she escorted him out of her room. When she finally closed the door, she let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that was somewhat easier than expected." She said out loud.

'_And you were able to get into the boy's lap.'_ Her inner wolf said.

'_It was just us crying, not me trying to sleep with him.'_

'_Though that may be true, it's easier to emotionally connect before you mate. It can create the best orgasm.'_

'_We don't need to be having this conversation right now.'_ Luna said angrily.

'_You're going to have to choose soon, dear. Or else you will go mad with want and it will be harder to control your urges.'_ The wolf no longer talked, and Luna was left feeling confused. She quickly went over to her desk and wrote Remus a quick letter saying she had questions that needed to be answered. She sent it off immediately, hoping that she would get a letter relatively soon. Her stomach growled loudly from starvation. Luckily, everyone left the food that was forgotten in her room, guaranteeing a wonderful feast.

"Food." Luna said as she quickly took a huge spoon of macaroni and shoved it in her mouth. She moaned at the wonderful cheesy deliciousness of the macaroni. "I'll never get tired of this food." Luna mumbled to herself in between bites. She practically devoured all of the food that was present. Once her stomach was satisfied, she decided that a bath sounded marvelous. She filled the bath up to its brim and stepped inside, enjoying the warm liquid moving about her body.

Nothing more eventful happened that day. Luna read some of her books for the rest of the afternoon, and willed herself to leave for dinner. She just grabbed some rolls and went back to her room, not really 

wanting to eat in front of the group. She walked slowly back to her room, giving a small wave to Sarah as she entered her room. Exhausted from her stressful day, Luna slipped into a simple blue nightgown and crawled into her bed. She looked at herself in the mirror and noticed her puffy red eyes. She shrugged it off, hoping they would go down by the next day. Just as she was about to fall asleep, green flames erupted in her fireplace. Luna sat up, startled at the sight of Remus now standing in her room.

"How did you –?"

"I asked Dumbledore to make a Floo fireplace in your room so I could reach you easily." Remus replied smoothly, dusting off some of the soot that remained on his shabby clothes.

"How come you came so soon?"

"I felt it necessary to have the next lesson since you're now around many boys." Remus looked at Luna and noticed her puffy eyes and immediately became concerned. "What's wrong? Have you been crying?"

"I told my friends about Sirius."

"How did they react?"

"Everyone stayed quiet except for Hermione. She asked some questions, but then Harry asked to talk to me alone. I explained everything to him, and we ended up crying over Sirius." She said as she stood up slowly to face him properly.

"Well, at least they took it well."

"This is true." Silence fell over them quickly. Luna stood in front of him in her pajamas, realizing just how awkward it must be for Remus to see her in such attire. If he was feeling awkward, then he was a master at hiding it.

"Anyway," Remus began. "I have to teach you more about the mating process, for you will have to initiate them yourself. You have to do these rituals or else the wolf that's inside you won't allow it."

"Does yours talk to you?"

Remus chuckled at Luna's question, but answered. "It did a lot when I was younger, mainly when a member of the opposite sex was around. Now, it will sometimes give a remark here and there, but usually is chatty when it is near the full moon."

"And has it taken over your actions?" Luna inquired again.

"It has completely once, and tried many times. I try my best to control it. What has it made you do?"

"Well, it was angry that I wasn't trying to do anything to find someone, so it took matters into its own hands."

"I was afraid of that." Remus replied running a hand through his sandy hair. "We need to get you into that pack soon since I can only teach you so much. The wolf can in fact take over your body and force you to mate with someone you might not want to."

"Merlin." Luna breathed slowly.

"Which is precisely why I rushed here as soon as I can, because it seems it's not too far away for taking matters into its own hands. Now, I am going to do the mating greeting that you accidentally did last time. I want to see what you do naturally with the contact. Please don't take this the wrong way, but do also let what naturally comes out happen." Luna's stomach became a bundle of knots as Remus bent towards her neck. As soon as his cheek touched hers, her mind began to whirl as the wolf inside her stirred with joy. She felt her eyes change into its brilliant silver color. Keeping eye contact with Remus she showed him the side of her neck.

"Good, you did what is expected." Remus said huskily, his chest heaving up and down. "You and whomever you choose to mate with will have to do the greeting at the same time on the day you two mate. The female usually shows her neck as an official agreement to the male's wishes."

"Then what happens?" Luna asked huskily. She was having a hard time concentrating on what was around her. Instead, the wolf was trying to get Luna to pounce on Remus and have her way with him.

"The male would step forward and nuzzle her neck. Then they are free to mate." Remus took a step towards her and got very close to her face. "My wolf is talking to me now." He said in a deep, husky voice.

"Mine too." Luna said, staring at his lips. In her mind, she knew what was happening was extremely and pervertedly wrong, but she had temporarily lost control of her body. "I don't have anymore control." She said breathily.

"I shouldn't do this." Remus responded right before he put his arms around her and closed the gap between them. She felt the warmth of his body press boldly against her slender form. She made a noise that somewhat resembled a purr as she nuzzled her head against his muscular chest. As if he knew exactly where to go, he gently slid his hand down her back. Her hips buckled slightly at the touch, which made Remus groan. He then finally put his lips against her own, and Luna's mind snapped back into reality. She squirmed awkwardly underneath his kisses.

"Re–" She began, but his tongue slid into her mouth, taking advantage of the opportunity. She moaned at Remus' new found talents. She quickly regained composure and gently pushed Remus. Remus, not paying attention to Luna's attempts, pulled her towards the bed. He laid her down and laid on top of her. Luna felt utterly confused at the whole situation, but understood that it was his wolf reacting to the stimulus. She wiggled underneath him in order to escape him. However, Remus' body took it the complete opposite way as his hips bucked. Luna gasped at the contact and sat frozen in the spot.

"REMUS! STOP!" She finally shouted at him. He propped himself up with his elbows and blinked a couple times before realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He flew off of her in the matter of seconds and was on the opposite side of the room.

"Oh dear God." Remus uttered, obviously horrified with his actions. "I cannot believe I allowed myself to do that."

"We both allowed ourselves to do it." Luna said, trying to ease him.

"This is more the reason I need to get you to meet the pack. I can't teach you these aspects without trying to mate with you myself." Luna blushed immensely at the thought of them having sex. "I'm so sorry, Luna, but I'm going to have to go."

"You might want to make sure no one sees you." Luna said. When he looked at her quizzically, she pointed at his nether regions and noticed his erection.

"Ugh." Remus grabbed his jacket and held it in front of him awkwardly. "Yes, right then, I am off. I will write you when I have the arrangements ready." With that, he jumped into the fire and was gone.

"Holy shit." Luna sighed. "This has been one of the weirdest days I've ever had in my life."

'_But you enjoyed it.'_ The wolf replied seductively.

'_Shut it.'_ Luna replied before she headed to take a nice cold shower.

--

The next couple of weeks seemed to fly by without a hitch. The news of Sirius seemed to be old news with the gang. Luna never told them about her encounter with Remus, because she would be highly embarrassed to admit she made out and almost slept with a man that was almost twice her age. Luna was able to endure the cat calls she received on a daily basis, mainly because Harry was able to shut up the Gryffindor males whenever she was near. Draco eventually grew his hair back, but it never stopped 

the school population referring to him as a naked mole rat. He seemed livid as ever, taking his anger out on poor first years. Today she found herself eating breakfast alone, since Constantine was ill with the flu and was forbidden to leave the Hospital Wing. Taking a spoon full for cereal, she read the Daily Prophet. Then Professor McGonagall stood in front of the students and cleared her throat.

"It is my pleasure to announce that Hogwarts will be holding a Halloween Ball." All the girls squealed, while all the boys groaned. "It will be at 8 o'clock until midnight, and only 5th year students and higher are allowed to attend." Many of the younger students started to complain, but McGonagall held up her hand. "Those students qualified are allowed to take younger students if so desired. Costumes are encouraged, but not necessary. If there are any more questions, don't hesitate to ask any members of the faculty." With that, she sat down and the whole room began to fill with chit chatter.

"Hey, Luna," Some boy she never met in her life said seductively behind her. She turned around to see a whole group of boys from all the houses huddled around her. Her eyes widened at the group, but then quickly formed slits and the obvious questions that were about to erupt.

"How about I get this over with nice and gently," Luna said with fake sweetness. "Get the fuck away from me, now." The boys seemed startled by her reaction and retreated from her with obvious disappointment.

"Seems they're gonna get started early." Ginny said behind her as she slid in the vacant seat next to Luna.

"Typical boys." Luna said hotly as she finished off her breakfast. "Who are you thinking about taking?"

"Probably Seamus." Ginny shrugged, not really caring. "He's always been a nice guy, good kisser too."

"Cause kissing always decides whether you want to take a guy to a dance or not."

"Well, you most likely kiss your date goodnight at the end, so yes…it does help narrow it down." Ginny giggled at her statement and the two stood up. "You gonna ask Harry?"

"What gave you that idea?" Luna asked. They walked out of the Great Hall and began their way to Transfiguration.

"Hmm…let me think. Maybe it's because you're madly in love with him?"

"I'm not in love with him." Luna hissed.

"You're well on your way. I think it would be cute if you two went together."

"I bet you do." Luna asked as she walked briskly past a group of boys the ogled at her.

"He's going to ask you, Luna. I know it."

"I don't even like dances."

Ginny took a sideways glance with her amber eyes before she said, "Have you even been to a dance?"

"Well, no, but –"

"You can't say you don't like them then." Ginny stated triumphantly.

"Alright, you win. But Harry still won't ask me. He probably has a thousand girls queuing behind him." Luna opened the door to the classroom and took her assigned seat next to a Gryffindor girl. Luna was barely able to pay attention to McGonagall's lecture as thousands of notes from members of the male species sent her love letters and poems, asking her to the ball. Luna would write a quick 'no' and send it back, but another letter would find its way upon her desk. It was the same thing in all of her classes that 

day, even some of the same boys wrote at least 8 letters begging her to go with them. Understandably, Luna got pissed.

"Damn them to hell." Luna grumbled as she met up with Ginny and Hermione at a large tree near the lake.

"I'm taking it you didn't like any of the love letters?" Hermione said with her eyes still glued to her current book.

"If you could call them love letters," Luna huffed, plopping herself down next to the girls. "Listen to this, 'Did you eat Lucky Charms this morning? Because you look magically delicious."

"Are you kidding me?" Ginny laughed hysterically. She grabbed the pile of letters from Luna and began reading them out loud. "Oh look at this one: 'Can I have directions to your heart?' from George Michaels. Who the hell is George Michaels?"

"Third year Slytherin." Hermione responded, but Ginny no longer cared.

"You will not believe this one: "I want to give you an award for looking so good. Now if you will give me your name, number and other vital statistics, I would like to enter you in our grand prize drawing for an all-expenses paid date with me.' Hey, that one was clever."

"Who was that even from?" Luna asked, never even seeing that letter.

"None other than Blaise Zambini." Ginny read. "Who knew he could be creative."

"Well I'm saying no to him." Luna said as she tossed the stack of letters into the lake.

"Who are you holding out for, then?" Hermione asked, finally closing her book and joining the conversation.

"Harry." Ginny responded in a sing song voice.

"Shut it." Luna warned, but Ginny continued her torment.

"Luna and Harry, kissing in a tree: K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Are you five today?" Luna snapped.

"Yes I am." Ginny said without missing a beat. "But admit it, you are waiting to see if Harry will ask you."

"Fine, I am. Satisfied?"

"Naturally." Ginny responded.

"I'm certain he would ask you to the ball, Luna." Hermione said encouragingly. "For one thing, he probably wouldn't let a guy come near you since he promised to protect you."

"Time will tell, I guess." Luna whispered.

"Who do you think you'll dress up as, Hermione?"

"I would love to be Juliet…a Shakespearean character."

"You would." Luna giggled as Hermione tried her best to give a menacing glare. She failed miserably. "Would Ron agree to be Romeo?"

"If I begged him, I'm sure he would." Hermione replied smoothly. "Speak of the devil." Luna turned to see Ron, Harry, and Seamus making their way over their way. Luna's stomach did flips as she noticed that Harry looked especially handsome. His blue t-shirt fit perfectly, showing off his toned body, and his dark jeans worked wonders. Luna had to make sure she wasn't drooling at the sight of him and gave a warm smile.

"Hello there." Luna said merrily. All the boys smiled at the girls at took their seats. Much to Luna's dismay, Harry didn't sit next to her.

"Did I hear something about begging?" Ron teased as he gave Hermione a small kiss. "I wouldn't object."

"I'm sure you wouldn't." Hermione said, snuggling into him. "We're going as Romeo and Juliet to the ball."

"Who?"

"A Shakespearean couple, Ron." Ginny replied. Ron's face turned to disgust.

"I don't want to wear that stiff clothes though." He complained.

"I'll be wearing a corset."

"I have no problem then." Ron said quickly. Everyone laughed loudly.

"Hey, Ginny," Seamus began. "Want to escort me to the dance?"

"Yes I would, Seamus." Ginny replied, giving him a little wink. "How about we talk about our plans in private?" Ginny shot a glance at Luna and smiled devilishly. Ron made to stand up and beat Seamus to a pulp, but Hermione put a gentle hand on his upper arm and calmed him down.

"Ron, can you help me with that thing?" Hermione asked. Luna immediately caught on to what was going on, and began to freak out.

"What thing?" Ron asked dumbly. After Hermione and Ron had a staring contest, it finally clicked in his mind. "Oh, _that_ thing. Sure, let's go do it now." And the two were off before Luna could say anything. The color drained from Luna's face as nervousness washed over her.

"That wasn't obviously." Harry sarcastically responded.

"Yea, I know." Luna replied. "So…who are you going to take to the dance?"

"Uhm, I don't know. I've never really been good at asking girls out." Harry said sheepishly.

"You didn't seem to have a problem with Cho." Luna began.

"I never officially asked her out, though. It was more of me kissing her under the mistletoe and bam…we were dating." Harry laughed out loud before he continued. "I tried asking her to the Yule Ball in 4th year. I was a blubbering mess."

"I can hardly imagine the Harry Potter a blubbering mess." Luna said stifling giggles.

"Well it happened, believe me it can happen." The two laughed loudly for awhile before things calmed down. Luna looked out towards the lake, the sun set turning the sky into a deep red color.

'_How romantic,'_ Luna thought bitterly, since she was sitting next to the man of her dreams, but she was sure he didn't feel the same way.

"Hey Harry," Lavender Brown shouted behind them. Both turned their heads toward her and Harry let out a groan.

"She's been chasing me all day." Harry whispered in her ear, anger evident in his voice. "I've usually been able to avoid her, but now it seems I'm out of luck."

"There you are Harry. I've been looking for you for ages." Lavender said bubbly. Harry gave a small smile towards her. "Do you know who you're going to take to the ball?"

Luna's stomach seemed to be squished between two boulders as she heard Lavender's question. "Uh," Harry said, taking a pleading look at Luna. Luna stared at him, trying to figure out what exactly to do to save Harry.

"Well, I'm not taken…and I'm sure it'd be a pleasure to be your date." Lavender said in her best seductive voice. Luna noted that Lavender shouldn't use a seductive voice, since she sounded more like a cross between Ethel Merman and a male chain smoker. Suddenly, something clicked in Luna's mind and she gave a devilish smile.

"Actually," Luna said venomously. "Harry promised me he'd take me to the ball." Luna scooted over to Harry and gave him an uncertain look. Harry seemed to be shocked for a split second, and then realized what she was doing.

"I'm sorry, Lavender." Harry said as he put his arm around Luna's shoulder. "I'm already taken." Luna felt her face begin to flush at the contact, but continued to smile up at Lavender. Lavender's face flushed also, but in anger instead. She glared heavily at Luna for a few minutes before she plastered a sweet, but fake, smile on her face.

"I'm sure you'll make a … _cute_ … couple. But if you're in need for someone who knows what their doing, just give me a call." Lavender said as she sauntered away from the group. Luna picked up a pebble that was nearby and tossed if viciously into the lake, making a loud 'thunk.'

"Don't worry about her," Harry began. "She won't be able to do any damage to you."

"If you stand next to her you'll probably get an STD." Luna hissed. It was common to the school population that Lavender was very slutty, and she in fact had been with most of the male population. It was even rumored that she slept with Draco last year while she was dating Ron.

"Thanks for the help." Harry said encouragingly. "I don't want to get an STD, let alone have Ron on my case about it."

"You're welcome, Harry. Oh and you don't have to take me to the ball. I just figured that was the only way to get her away."

Harry stared at her for a long time, looking deep into her eyes. Luna's heart fluttered whenever he looked at her like that, with those emerald eyes, his scruffy skin due to his 5 o'clock shadow, and his moist lips. Luna could barely contain herself just looking at him at such a close range, and the wolf inside her was jumping up and down. He squeezed her shoulder and said seriously, "I was planning on asking you to the ball before all of this happened."

Luna almost screamed for joy, but was able to keep her composure. Her eyes grew wider and a goofy grin spread across her face. "Really?" She questioned dreamily.

"Really really." Harry responded. "I had told Ron and Hermione of my plans, and it seems Ginny caught on too. They took it upon themselves to leave us alone, presenting me with the perfect opportunity." Harry took his arm off her shoulders and faced her more clearly. His eyes seemed uncertain and hopeful as he said in a soft voice. "Will you go to the ball with me?"

Luna's grin widened at the question. "I would love to." She finally replied. Harry let out a sigh of relief as he stood up. He offered a hand to Luna, she took it, and he helped her up.

"You won't regret this. I'm not that bad of a dancer."

"Well, I've never been to a ball. So you don't have to worry about me comparing you to anyone."

"All the more reason for me to make it special, Luna." Harry gave her a genuine smile. "I'm glad you agreed to go with me."

"I'm glad you asked me." They stood awkwardly in front of each other, before Luna made a bold decision and hugged him. Luna smiled in his chest as Harry wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. Harry rested his head on the top of her neck, and he began to relax. After a few moments, they pulled away from each other and gave goofy grins.

"You want to get some food?" Harry asked politely. Luna nodded her head and followed him closely, each one smiling goofily at each other.

**Yes, it did get a little mushy, but I felt like writing that. The conversation with Luna and Harry over Sirius was depressing, I know…I'm sorry. The whole Remus/Luna thing was something that popped into my head that seemed like a good idea. Was it? **

**Review as always!**


	8. Guten Abend, Gute Nacht

**A/N: So many of you have asked questions, and I thought it would be best to answer them now. First of all, Draco's issue with being Head Boy WILL be explained, just not until later on in the story. Harry doesn't have werewolf blood in him, though that would be kinda cool if you ask me. The horcruxes will play a part in the story, but not exactly the way it was presented in the book. I'm going to reinvent them, so to speak, to make things interesting. Luna is still the same old girl, just with a little added spunk. This chapter is going to be especially long, so you guys are in for a treat. As always, I hope you enjoy!**

The library was the best place to receive peace and quiet. Even though Luna had her own room, it was nice having a different change of scenery. Flipping through one of the many books heaped on her table, Luna began humming merrily. If there was one thing that Hermione and Luna had in common, it was a thirst for knowledge and enjoyment in learning.

No one seemed to be in the library, which would be a natural occurrence, since it was a chilly Friday afternoon.

Luna smiled to herself at the serenity of the Library, looking around its massive vacancy. She pulled another book from her small mountain, and began skimming the pages slowly.

"I figured I'd find you here." Constantine muttered. Luna looked up and chuckled at her friend who was finally released from the Hospital wing.

"You know me all too well." Luna turned her attention right back to her book, taking notes every once in a while.

"Why must you work on homework now?" Constantine complained.

"Better to get it out of the way now instead of doing it the very last minute, like you. Remember, wit beyond measure… "

"Is man's greatest treasure…yea yea I know." Constantine spat pathetically. "I have no idea how I got put into Ravenclaw."

"The hat has its reason." Luna said in a sing song voice.

"That reminds me, I have been sent here to fetch you by your very own lover boy." Constantine said with a wiggle of her eyebrows. "He said he wants to talk about the ball and going to Hogsmeade."

"He's not my lover boy." Luna giggled. "Where am I to meet him?"

"I'm pretty sure you'll find him." Constantine said as she walked off slowly. Luna gave a questioning look, but eventually just shrugged her shoulders. Luna stood up, did an amazing balancing act with her many books, and walked over to put them away. She did it with surprising ease, never once dropping a book, most likely from years of practice. Luna checked out some books, giving the librarian a friendly smile.

The halls were completely deserted near the library, most likely everyone hanging out with their friends. Luna suddenly felt like she used to before she gained the great friends she now has. She stopped, for a brief moment, at the thought of how much her life had changed since then. Then, she was known as Loony Lovegood, the insane girl that was in a permanent state of dreamland. Now, she was actually called by her first name, apparently loved by the male population and loathed by the female population. She smiled at the friends she gained throughout the years, and she couldn't help but smile even brighter when the thought of Harry plopped into her mind. _'Maybe he actually likes me.'_ Luna thought hopefully, returning to dreamland with not so innocent thoughts of Harry entered her mind.

In her mind, Harry and Luna were standing in the same spot where he asked her to the dance, minus Lavender Brown. Harry had grabbed a hold of Luna's hand and held tightly. He stared deeply into her eyes, which seemed to sparkle much more than usual. His licked his lips gingerly as he continued to study her. Luna bit her lip at the intimacy of the situation, but held his gaze none the less. Finally, he brought his head ever so slowly towards hers. Luna closed her eyes in anticipation. Instead of the most romantic kiss in her life, Luna got a small tap on her shoulder.

She spun around, wand in hand, and cast the first spell that came to mind. "Aguamenti!" She shouted with much vigor. She watched as the water poured from the tip of her wand, resembling a large water hose. Finally, Luna lowered her wand, expecting to see Sterling lying on the floor. Instead, she saw a drenched Harry staring at her in a dumbfounded manner. "Harry?" Luna questioned, immense embarrassment consuming her.

"Nice to see you too." Harry said as he sloshed off some excess water out of his robes. "Who did you think I was?"

"Sterling." She replied bashfully.

"Well, at least you know how to protect yourself when he comes up now." He chuckled at Luna's embarrassment. "Don't worry, I'm just a little wet. Nothing I can't fix." He pointed his wand at himself and he immediately became dry.

"Constantine said you wanted to talk to me?" Luna questioned quickly to save herself from further embarrassment.

"Yea, well…since the ball is only about two weeks, I figured we should decide on costumes."

"Oh, I completely forgot about that." Luna said honestly. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Luna, I'm a guy. Of course I won't have ideas."

"Yes, you wouldn't know who to dress up as." Luna laughed heartedly. Without realizing it, they had begun to walk in the direction of her room, both at the exact stride. The only sound that could be heard was the soft patter of their feet hitting the stone floor. She thought during their time of silence, and an idea popped into her head. "How about Robin Hood and Maid Marian?"

"I'm not wearing tights. I know that was your soul mission in life to see me in tights, Luna, but that's something I won't do."

"Alright then. Well, let me think…Oh how about Helen of Troy and Paris?"

"Remind me again who they are?"

"Paris was in love with Helen, but she was married already to Menelaus, king of Sparta. She had an affair with Paris, and he finally took her back to Troy. A huge war began because she was taken, and the Greeks sent in a wooden horse to Troy and ultimately defeated them. Helen is commonly referred to 'the face that launched a thousand ships.' It seems like a good couple, don't you think?"

"Doesn't sound that bad. So what should I wear?" Harry inquired.

"Greek warrior clothes I guess." Luna suggested.

"Do you want to get them together, or do the whole element of surprise?"

"Surprises are always delightful, I think. The moments of happiness that people enjoy take them by surprise. It is not that people seize surprises, but that the surprise seizes them." Harry smiled warmly as she spoke.

"Surprise it is. But I was wondering if you'd like to meet up sometime at Hogsmeade tomorrow…" Luna could tell that he was nervous. He wrung his hands together and cast his eyes down in an uncertain manner.

"That would be lovely, Harry."

"Great!" Harry exclaimed, the nervousness disappearing from his face. "How about I meet you in front of Honeydukes?" Luna nodded her head, excitement building up already for the day tomorrow. "Let's say around noon. That should give you enough time to find a costume, right?"

"Plenty." She looked up and noticed they had already made it to the entrance of her room. Luna turned to Harry, regretting that they would have to part from each other. Luna could feel the butterflies rustle in her stomach when she looked into his face. He gave his famous smile to her.

"This is where I have to leave you." Harry said, not as cheerily as he spoke before. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Until then." Luna said airily. Harry gave her a sideways hug and walked slowly away, glancing over his shoulder to sneak a peak at Luna. Luna watched his retreating form until it was completely out of sight. She sighed slowly and walked into her room. Instead of the peace and quiet she expected, she was greeted with the chatter of her three female friends.

"Took you two long enough," Constantine exclaimed. "Couldn't keep your hands off of each other could you?"

"Nothing like that, just merely talking about costumes for the ball." Luna walked over to the group, that were currently laying on the floor, and smoothly sat herself next to them. They all had a variety of magazines out, each girl examining the pages thoroughly.

"How did you even get in here?"

"Sarah let us in because she knew us." Ginny replied. The three girls began talking, while Luna paid no attention to them, instead thinking about the ball.

'_I hope the ball is great.'_ Luna thought happily. She was already thinking of different costume ideas to accurately portray Helen of Troy. Luna eventually realized that she and Helen were much alike. For one thing, they were both chased after men due to something out of their control. Helen was the daughter 

of Zeus, and Luna had werewolf blood within her. They both had unwanted men in their lives: Helen's being Menelaus and Luna's being Sterling. Luna was thankful, however, that her face never caused a 10 year war to ensue and that she hadn't committed adultery. Harry did remind Luna of Paris, not in the whole stealing someone's wife ordeal, but in his charm and good looks. Paris was, after all, blessed by Aphrodite to make him more irresistible. Harry had a charm about him that made him likeable and loveable. Harry also was very attractive, with his toned body and gentle eyes. Luna didn't blame Lavender for trying to get with Harry. Most girls fawned over the 17 year old boy, even some Slytherin girls loved him.

"Luna's out of it again." Ginny said annoyingly. Luna's mind came racing back into reality as she looked at the girls surrounding her. Everyone was looking at her expectedly, and Luna just felt confused.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I asked who you were going to dress up as."

"Paris and Helen of Troy." Hermione's face lit up, while Ginny and Constantine looked confused.

"Helen basically started a huge war because she was pretty and Paris was in love with her." Hermione informed them quickly. Ginny and Constantine made an 'o' shape with their mouths and nodded.

"Who are you two dressing up as?"

"Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf." Ginny said, a small blush gracing her face. "I thought it was a little out there, but Seamus is into that kinky stuff."

"I'm going traditional masquerade outfit." Constantine said quickly.

"Wait," Hermione began. "Who are you even going with?"

"I don't know…it's a secret admirer." Constantine spilled out.

"You never told me about this." Luna said, feeling a pang in her chest that her friend held something from her. Never had Luna and Constantine withheld information from the other, and Luna understandably felt upset. Then she remembered how she never told Constantine about her encounter with Remus, so she pushed the feelings out of her mind.

"I didn't know if it was a joke or not, so I wanted to make sure it's the real thing, ya know? I didn't to hide it, I just wanted to know for sure."

"Where are you going to meet him at the ball?"

"Near the doors I guess. He told me to describe my outfit to him and he'll find me."

"How romantic, secret lovers!" Ginny exclaimed, dramatically bringing her heart to her chest. "Do you guys want to buy the costumes together?"

"Just as long as it doesn't go till 2." Luna responded.

"You meeting up with Harry?"

"Yes, he asked if I wanted to. Completely innocent, I promise you."

"Can I ask you something Luna?" Hermione questioned. Luna nodded for her to proceed. "Have you ever kissed a boy?"

Honesty was always the best policy, so Luna told the truth. "Yes I have, but only two people."

"You are innocent." Ginny said with a little smirk on her freckled face. "Not to worry, Harry's a very good kisser."

"Ron's not that bad." Hermione said. "He's more concerned with the physical part anyway." Hermione blushed at this, and Luna shook her head softly. Luna quickly tuned the girls out as Hermione gushed about Ron. Luna never really liked talking about her relationships, even though she never had one. Mentioning that she had made out with Fred and Remus, in her mind, would make her seem like a home wrecker. Somewhere in her mind she knew that once she had a real relationship, she would probably act much like Hermione. She thought about exactly how her other part would react to whomever she began dating, and exactly what would it do if it didn't like the boy. Everything seemed so confusing for her, and understandably so. She then remembered how her dad was still captured by Death Eaters. Sadness filled in her heart as the man she grew up with was gone from her grasp from the time being, and prayed that he is still alive. She knew that it would be hard to survive the conditions he was most likely in, but she knew he was strong too.

An owl tapped on the window lightly as Luna was tossed out of her thoughts. She got up slowly and let the grand bird in, its feathers a hauntingly dark black. It lifted its leg high in the hair, and Luna took off the letter that was attached. She opened the letter and examined its contents extensively.

_**Dear Luna,**_

_**I have finally managed to schedule your meeting with the werewolf pack. It will be November 22**__**nd**__**. I know that you are still in school, but Dumbledore will tell all the teachers that you will be visiting your dying uncle in Latvia. You will be going to the tribe that your mother knew very well. In fact, these people were the ones that helped your mother transform. You will be there for only a few days. You will never go in contact with the male werewolves. It is highly too dangerous for you, so we have scheduled it right around their hunting time, which usually is a week. I will escort you to the tribe, but I will not be present when you actually talk to the women. They have their own secrets that males aren't supposed to know. I will be flooing to your room that morning and we shall travel by train. The werewolves have a magical barrier around their grounds to prevent outside invasions, so we have to travel as a normal human being. If there are any more questions that you wish to ask, these females will know the answer. I shall write you to remind you of the departure when the time comes.**_

_**-Remus-**_

Luna nodded her head as she read the letter, her eyes going wide when she found out she'd actually meet the tribe that knew her mother. She folded the letter up carefully in her pocket and looked back at the girls. "I'm going to be going to the tribe in November."

The girls immediately stopped what they were talking about and stared at Luna astonishingly. "Where is it?" Constantine finally questioned.

"Latvia." Luna said shortly. All the girls became quiet as Luna returned to their circle, not really feeling any certain emotion. "Well I don't want to be the buzz kill. Let's keep talking!"

"Oh Hermione I have a book for you to read." Ginny said as she began rummaging through her bag. All the girls looked at Ginny questionably. Ginny wasn't the type of girl to recommend books to anyone, let alone read them for pure enjoyment. She gave a triumphant squeal and pulled out a large black book. She looked at the cover with a wide smile across her face and handed it to Hermione. "It will be of good use to you I think."

Hermione took one glance at the cover and shoved it back towards Ginny. "I'm not going to read that!" Luna looked took the book out of her hands and looked at it. She started to laugh as she read the title of the book that was written in pink cursive.

"The Art of Sex: The Ultimate Way to Please Your Man." Luna read out loud. Constantine spit out the water when Luna said the title, and Luna just laughed harder.

"What? I thought that it would be useful."

"We're not having sex, Ginny. Plus, I find it disturbing that my boyfriend's sister is encouraging this."

"You can't live your life oblivious to people around you having sex. It's a natural thing." Ginny said, holding her hands up in defense.

Luna flipped open the book and immediately fell onto the chapter called 'Amazing Positions.' Luna stared in shock at the graphic pictures that stared back at her. Luna quickly found out that the book was magical as the pictures began performing their designed position. Some bounced up and down, while others seemed to just wiggle around. Luna's inner girl began to giggle at the page as she showed it to everyone else. Everyone began giggling at the pictures, pointing at different ones and laughing harder.

"The Torrid Tabletop:" Ginny read out loud. "In some cases, a simple change of scenery can aid in achieving orgasm. For this move, you'll need a kitchen table — one that comes to your man's waist. Lie down on the table with your butt near the edge. He enters you while standing between your legs, holding on to your hips for leverage. You can rest your feet on his shoulders or on the edge of the table. Because he's standing, his hands are free to stroke your body. And he's at a perpendicular angle, rather than right on top of you, making it easier for him to touch your clitoris, unobstructed. To up your odds of orgasm, clench and lift up your butt, which will increase the pelvic tension and blood flow to the area."

"Wow, that's extremely detailed." Hermione said with a somewhat turned up nose. "I certainly won't be telling you guys about my sex life if you're going to giggle like this."

"You mean your non existent sex life?" Luna teased. She dodged a pillow that was tossed at her face. "I'm sorry to be pushy, but I do want some beauty rest before tomorrow."

"It's alright. We know you don't love us." Constantine said sarcastically. "Let's meet near the Great Hall before we leave for Hogsmeade."

"I'll see you guys tomorrow." Luna watched as the girls walked out, very thankful for the piece and quiet her room now guaranteed her. She walked over to her dresser and changed into a baggy shirt and plaid pajama shorts. The thought of seeing werewolves that knew her mom excited her and scared her. She was unsure if she could hear stories about her mom, since it was such a sensitive topic for Luna. Luna closed her eyes as some of the very few memories of her mother flooded her mind. Before her stood a woman that resembled what Luna will look like in later years. The woman had the same blonde hair and porcelain skin that Luna has. She wasn't that much taller than Luna, maybe by a few inches at most. Very few freckles sprinkled her nose and cheeks, and her hands were elegant and long, perfect pianist hands. Her green eyes were piercing, much like Harry's. Instead of having the emerald eyes that Harry had, she had moss colored eyes that seemed to be extremely bright. In this memory, her mother 

was looking down at her. Luna guessed that she was still a baby, since she recognized the blue baby blanket and baby stuffed animals. Her mother was playing peek-a-boo with her, her mother's face lighting up every time Luna gave a cheery giggle. She then sang a lullaby that Luna had long forgot, the song stabbing Luna's heart with grief.

Luna began singing the song out loud, wanting more than ever to hear her mom sing it again. "Guten Abend, gute Nacht, Mit Rosen bedacht, Mit Naeglein besteckt, schlupf unter die Deck. Morgen frueh, wenn Gott will, wirst du wieder geweckt. Morgen frueh, wenn Gott will, wirst du wieder geweckt. Guten Abend, gute Nacht, Von Englein bewacht. Die zeigen im Traum, dir Christkindleins Baum. Schlaf nun selig und suess, Schau im Traum's Paradies. Schlaf nun selig und suess, Schau im Traum's Paradies."

Luna curled up into her bed, suddenly tired from the lullaby that used to put her to sleep. She felt mixed emotions about visiting the pack, but she still felt excitement for the ball with Harry. She promised herself that she would concentrate on the ball until it passes, and then confront everything else head on after. Luna turned the light off near her bed and immediately fell asleep.

The morning seemed to come all too soon for Luna as she heard the annoying buzzing of her alarm clock. She slammed it off immediately. Sitting up slowly in her bed, she quickly remembered about the days events with a small smile playing across her face. She sprung out of bed with a jolly step. She smiled wildly at the thought of spending the afternoon with Harry. _'Wait, would this be considered a date?'_ Luna thought suddenly. Her heart stopped in her chest with worry. She took a glance at herself in the mirror. She almost cringed at the sight of her messy hair and dirty face. "A shower is certainly in order." She said out loud. She slipped into the shower happily, letting the hot water fall onto her skin. She decided that using her special shampoo would be the best idea. The aroma of black berries filled the shower and she took a deep sniff of the foamy substance that was in her hands. She lathered it into her hair quickly and continued to wash the rest of her body. Once she had dried her body off, she contemplated on what outfit she should wear. She decided that she didn't really want to dress up, so she put on a pair of khaki pants and a plain black long sleeved shirt. She put on some basic foundation and her usual jewelry before she examined herself in the mirror. Deciding she was satisfied, she made her way down for breakfast.

She sat down next to Constantine with a loud thump and began chowing down on bacon and eggs. "Good morning!" Luna said cheerfully.

"Well aren't we happy today. Let me guess…you're excited about the date?"

"It's not a date…I don't think." Luna hesitantly said.

"The only place to go on a date is Hogsmeade, and Harry asked you to hang out with him. Alone. I think that qualifies as a date." Luna's face paled even more, and Constantine gave an encouraging smile. "Don't worry about it. If he didn't like you, he wouldn't be taking you to the ball. Since he is, you have nothing to fear."

"I hope you're right." Luna said as she sipped her milk. "Have Hermione and Ginny come down yet?"

"Yea, they're over there." Luna turned her head, seeing the two girls smiling happily and talking to each other. "They said to come over whenever we're done."

"Well, I'm done." Luna said as she tossed her fork onto the now empty plate.

Constantine stared at her in shock. "How the hell did you finish all that within like two minutes?"

"I'm just special like that, I guess." Luna shrugged her shoulders and stood up, motioning for Constantine to follow. They walked over to the Gryffindor table and stood behind their friends. "Good morrow!"

"Hello to you too," Hermione said with a wide smile. "You guys ready to go?" Everyone nodded their heads and made their way to the doors of Hogwarts, where a large group of students already stood waiting. Luna could feel the excitement bouncing off of the walls, and Luna had to admit it was infectious. McGonagall gave a stern speech to the large group of kids that surrounded her, basically stating to not do anything stupid and to be back by 6. All the students handed her their permission slips quickly and made their way down to Hogsmeade.

Luna didn't pay much attention to the chatter of all the people around her. Instead, she let her new senses take over as she smelled the crisp clean air that surrounded them. She looked up at the sky and heard a hawk cry out into the morning air, searching for its next prey. Another bird chirped happily to its 

baby chicks, feeding them their morning worm. Luna looked now at the group of students that stood in front of her. She could tell it was their first time going to Hogsmeade, their new excitement radiating off of their smiling faces. Luna smiled at their wonder, remembering her first time going to Hogsmeade. _'In a way,'_ Luna thought. _'This is my real first time going to Hogsmeade. I've always gone by myself…and now I'm in the company of my best friends.'_ Luna's smile widened as she linked arms with Ginny. Soon they both started running towards Hogsmeade, with Constantine and Hermione close behind them.

"Damn, you're fast." Ginny heaved as she bent over, her hands on her knees and her face flushed.

"I thank my mother for that." Luna said nonchalantly, standing as if nothing had happened. Hermione and Constantine came up to them shortly after, also with flushed cheeks. After they had a break, Luna asked "So where is this costume store?"

"Not too far from here, actually," Hermione responded. "It's called Nottingham Superb Costumes." All the girls nodded quickly as they began their decent to the store. Luna could tell they were getting closer to the costume shop, because a crowd of girls were already making their way past them. Luna groaned as they finally reached the small store, since about 40 girls were already standing outside.

"This is going to be lovely." Luna moaned.

"No need to worry." Hermione said. "I sent a letter yesterday and reserved 4 dressing rooms. You can thank me later."

"I love your brains, Hermione." Constantine said with a wide smile. "Well, what the hell are we waiting for? Let's get in there." The girls laughed at Constantine's eagerness, but pushed their way through the crowd none the less. Unfortunately for Luna, Luna bumped into the last person she wanted to see.

"Hello, Loony." Lavender said viciously. "Looking for your ghoul costume? Oh wait, you already look like one." Lavender's friends giggled revoltingly behind her, as a smug smile played across Lavender's face. Luna stopped dead in her tracts, and turned around slowly, her eyes filled with anger.

"Come on, Luna. Don't listen to what she says." Ginny said softly, giving a soft tug on Luna's sleeve.

"No," Luna whispered to Ginny. "I've got something better up my sleeve." Luna turned her head back to Lavender and said venomously. "Are you sure you're in the right place? Because the pregnancy test and STD center is down that way."

Lavender's eyes popped out of her head as the whole crowd made a collective 'oh.' Luna smiled devilishly to Lavender and walked away from her proudly. The four girls stepped into the store and were greeted by the warm atmosphere. "She'll want to murder you now." Constantine finally stated.

"Oh well, that felt good." Luna said with a shrug. A little old witch came up to the girls with huge glasses with tape measures and needles all over her. Her white hair was pointing in every direction, giving her the appearance of a mad woman.

"Good morning ladies." The woman said in a small, but cheery voice. "I suspect you are here for the Halloween ball, yes?"

"Yes, ma'am," Hermione replied. "I'm Hermione Granger. I reserved dressing rooms yesterday."

"Oh, yes yes. I remember. Come right this way." She scurried away from them, going in the direction to the female costumes. "Are you girls looking for anything in particular?"

"Uhm, we need two Victorian costumes, one Red Riding Hood costume, and one Helen of Troy costume."

"Very good choices, I must say. Now let me take your measurements." They stopped in a medium sized room with 4 doors and a platform surrounded by lights and mirrors. "Who'd like to go first?" All the girls looked at each other skeptically, having a silent argument with their eyes on who goes first. Finally, Ginny walked onto the platform and gave the woman a small smile. The lady pulled out her wand and made the tape measure go around her bust. She woman looked up at Ginny with a look full of concentration. "Do you wear a size 36C?"

"Yes, ma'am." Ginny replied awkwardly, a small blush coming up on her face.

"Good, good. My calculations are correct so far." The woman replied with a small smile. She wrote down the numbers quickly and moved to Ginny's waist and hips. "You have a vase shape body, my dear."

"What does that mean?" Ginny questioned angrily, not knowing if it was a compliment or not.

"Don't worry my dear, it's a good thing." The lady reassured her. "It just merely means you are like an hour glass body shape, but with a smaller butt." Luna giggled at Ginny, while Ginny shot her a playful glare. "Alright, who's next?"

"I'll go." Constantine said delightfully. She stood up on the platform and looked down at the petite woman. "Work your magic."

"I shall try my best." The woman replied, the tape going around Constantine with ease. "You wear a size 34B?" Constantine nodded her head confidently. "Good, good…oh look at those legs! They're so long. You would have to be a lollipop shape." Luna and Hermione looked at each other quizzically, never hearing of that term. "It means that you have…oh how would you youngsters say, 'legs for days.' Did I get that right?"

"Yes you did." Constantine replied, suppressing a chuckle. "Hermione, you're up."

"Now you, my dear, are a pear. I can already tell." Hermione blushed slightly, but kept her composure. "You also are a 34B; that I can tell. It seems you have been one of the easiest people to measure." The woman smiled at Hermione and patted her on the back.

"I'm glad." Hermione replied. "You're the last one left, Luna."

Luna walked up slowly onto the platform, suddenly nervous. Even though the other girls were nervous about their measurements, Luna felt extra nervous. She knew that she had grown dramatically over the summer, her chest filling out and her hips getting wider. She smiled down at the woman nervously. Luna felt the tape measure go around her waist swiftly and tightening a little to get the right fit. The woman walked up and squinted her eyes to see the numbers. Her eyes then looked at Luna's face as she said, "You wear a 36D?"

"Whoa, Luna!" Ginny exclaimed. "You've got a huge rack!"

Luna blushed madly as her bra size was revealed. "Yes, that's my size." She whispered to the woman.

"Nothing to be ashamed of, it's good to be curvy." The woman replied sweetly. The tape measure then slid across Luna's waist, and the woman again squinted her eyes at the number. "Such a tiny waist." She muttered. Finally, the tape went around her hips, and the woman stood up triumphantly. "You have an hour glass figure, which I must say the boys go crazy for." All three girls gave Luna a knowing look, but Luna ignored them. "If you'll allow me a few minutes to sort through the costumes, I'll find some choices for you ladies." She scurried her way out of the room and towards the long racks of costumes.

"Congrats on having the biggest boobs out of the group." Constantine joked. "I guess you can thank your mother for that too." Ginny and Constantine laughed, while Luna just looked uncomfortable.

"Guys," Hermione began as she took a seat on the sofa in the corner. "Leave Luna alone. She's got a great body, let it be." The girls stopped laughing as soon as Hermione stopped talking. Luna gave Hermione a thankful smile and sat down next to her.

"I think we all covered the various types of body shapes, don't you think?" Luna finally said after a few moments of silence.

"I'd say so." Ginny replied. Once again silence fell upon them as they waited for the old woman to come back. Eventually, four rather large bags floated through the air and the old woman came bustling back into their rooms.

"Sorry to have taken so long, ladies. I believe I've found the best costumes for you four. You're lucky you booked an appointment, or else you wouldn't have found these costumes."

"You are a genius, Hermione." Ginny chimed in, batting her eyes at Hermione lovingly.

"Yea, yea. Just go put on the outfit already and model for us." Hermione laughed as Ginny pranced into the dressing room, one of the large bags flying right behind her.

"Now, ladies, I must go around to the other students in the store. If you need me for any reason at all, press the doorbell over there and I will come immediately." Luna, Constantine, and Hermione nodded their heads and with a pop, the woman was gone. Luna stretched out her muscles and began to curl herself into a little ball, her feet and hands curled towards her abdomen.

"You look exactly like a dog, Luna." Hermione commented beside her. Luna lazily looked up at her and gave a weak smile.

"What can I say, I take on werewolf habits." Luna rubbed her head against the cushions of the couch and closed her eyes. When she hear the squeaking of the door, however, her eyes popped open and she sat up with a start.

"I'm pretty sure Seamus will like this." Ginny yelled out to the group before she opened the door completely. She then did a classic Ginny move and kicked the door open and strutted out to the center of the room. Luna's mouth dropped to the floor as she looked upon Ginny. Her legs were covered in black hose and her feet held heeled boots that went up to her knees. The bottom of her red dress was about 4 inches above her knees, poofed out with black lace. The top part of her dress was predominately red, except for the black lacing across the front. It was modest cleavage compared to how much skin was being revealed everywhere else, and her red cape hung delicately from her body. Ginny's hair fell to her bust, going perfectly with the whole outfit. Her eyes were twinkling with delight as she examined herself in the mirror.

"I'm sure that Seamus will die from the lack of blood going to his brain." Constantine said.

"Wait…where would it go?" Luna questioned. Everyone looked at her quizzically, and then began to laugh.

"Luna, I can't believe you just asked that." Ginny said in between chuckles. "The blood would be going to his penis."

"Oh yea." Luna's face turned maroon as the other girls just laughed at her in a loving way. Ginny pranced around for a few more times before jumping into the dressing room to change.

"I love this outfit so much." Ginny said as she finally walked out of the dressing room. Who's gonna try on their costume next?"

"I guess I will." Luna said bravely, standing up slowly and looking at the group. "Better to just go ahead and get it over with." She looked over the large bags that contained the dresses, one of them floating obediently behind Luna. Luna walked into the next dressing room and closed the door softly. Luna sighed as she looked at the large bag, and began pulling the dress out. A gasp escaped her lips as she studied the Greek dress thoroughly. The first thing she noticed was the bright silver and radiant gold colors that seemed to reflect the light in the room. She ran her fingers lightly over the silk, the coolness sending a chill down her spine. She studied it in detail, the gold giving a perfect trim along the hem of the dress, patterns of golden leafs decorating the silver dress. It had a drastic v-neck that made Luna feel somewhat nervous, but she put those thoughts aside. She noticed the golden leaf crown that came with the dress, and she smiled happily. She slipped on the dress smoothly, the silk feeling amazing against her body. She decided not to look into the mirror yet, instead she wanted to see her friend's reactions. Opening the door slowly, she heard everyone become quiet outside and wait patiently.

The faces that followed were comical to Luna. Ginny's jaw flew open, her amber eyes wide in shock. Constantine shook her head and took a double take, her hand covering her mouth. Hermione looked purely shocked as she leaned back into the couch, her eyes also very wide. Luna stepped onto the raised platform slowly and stared at the group. "Well, what do you think?"

"I think," Hermione began. "That you beat the actual Helen of Troy."

"Harry will bust a load when he sees you." Ginny replied, a wide grin upon her face.

"You do look amazing, Luna." Constantine sweetly said. "You seem to be radiating confidence." Luna smiled and turned to face the mirrors. Her mouth dropped as her eyes scanned her reflection. The dress fit her perfectly, its smooth silk covering her body. Luna even thought the cleavage was nice, even though it was more than she was used to. She did a girly twirl as she smiled in sheer joy.

"I think I'll get this." Luna said to the group as she made her way back to the dressing room.

"You better, because it looks great." Hermione shouted through the door. Luna chuckled as she regretfully took off her Greek dress. She hastily changed back into her regular clothes and walked out, feeling less radiant that before.

"I think I'll go ahead and try my dress on." Hermione finally stated. She followed the path that Ginny and Luna took, another huge bag following her. Luna sat down, once again, on the couch. She resisted the strong urge to curl up and sleep, though it was very tempting. Hermione took much longer than Ginny and Luna.

"She probably wants to make sure everything is in place." Ginny whispered in Luna's ear. Luna nodded her head and continued the excruciatingly long wait. After a few more minutes of waiting, Ginny looked at her watch. Her eyes bugged out of her head and looked a Luna with a fearful glance. "It's 12:05 Luna."

"Fiddle sticks." Luna said under her breath, she grabbed her costume and looked hopelessly at the door that hid Hermione. "Will you tell her what's going on?"

"We will." Constantine replied. Luna went over to the doorbell and rang it once, the loud chimes shaking the walls of the store. Immediately the little woman was in front of Luna, looking up at her through her thick glasses.

"I need to go ahead and buy this." Luna pronounced.

"Alright dear; that will be 35 galleons." Luna searched her pockets quickly for the money and put it gingerly into her hands.

"Thank you so very much for the dress." Luna thanked profusely.

"You're welcome, dear. I must say that that dress is one of the best we have in this store. Be sure to come back when you need a new outfit." Luna smiled warmly. The bag shrunk and she shoved it into her pocket, hastily making her way out of the store. Much more girls were now in the store. It made it very difficult for anyone to move, let alone a girl that's late for a very important date. Luna finally was able to push her way through the crowds and out onto the streets. The wind took Luna by surprise, her breath catching in her throat. She wrapped her arms around her torso in order to preserve some sort of heat. She picked up her pace progressively. She finally saw the figure of a lone boy outside of Honeydukes, and Luna's heart sank as she saw the depressing expression that ran across his face. Luna slowed her pace down a bit. Unsure of exactly how to greet him, she tapped him on his shoulder. She felt his body tense up as he turned around slowly. Harry's face lit up dramatically once he caught sight of Luna.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," Luna began. "It seems that buying costumes takes a great amount of time and effort."

"I thought you had ditched me at first." Harry said with a wide smile.

"Now why would I do that?"

"Who knows why. Maybe you wanted to go find Colin Creevey and be with him instead." Luna made a sour face as Harry laughed loudly. When Luna's teeth began to chatter, Harry looked at her like an animal caring for his mate. "You should have dressed warmly, Luna. Here, take my jacket."

"Oh no I couldn't –"

"Yes, you can." He already had his brown jacket off of his body and was holding it out in front of Luna. "You either put it on or it goes unused." Luna kept a straight face on her exterior, but she was having a 

mild heart attack inside. She could hear her heart pounding loudly as she began to reach her arm to the jacket. Harry helped her slip on the jacket caringly. Luna's body relaxed to the warmth that the jacket brought to her, and she smiled happily. Luna could also smell that almond smell that seemed distinctive to Harry. She resisted the urge to shove the jacket to her nose and inhale, thinking that it would be the ultimate stalker move.

"Thanks. Is there anywhere you want to go?" Luna questioned.

"Might as well go into Honeydukes while we're here." Harry opened the door for Luna as they entered the store. The smell of sweets filled the room. Luna's smile grew as the excitement of buying tons of candy consumed her. Harry seemed to have the same excitement as they walked along the walls, picking out handfuls of candy. She bought a huge stack of candy that will only make her sweet tooth even worse. She was currently sucking on a Sugar Quill as Harry and Luna walked out of the store.

"It's sad that Zonko's had to close down." Harry said as they passed the once popular trick store. The windows had large pieces of wood nailed across it, and the store name was sitting crookedly in the front of the store.

"It's a shame. People need laughter during these times." The threat of Voldemort was as strong as ever. Luna was constantly worried about what might happen to her dad and friends, but she easily kept that all to herself. She took a side glance at Harry and saw his clouded eyes.

"It will get much worse, I'm afraid." Harry said seriously.

"Well, life is to be fortified by many friendships. To love and to be loved is the greatest happiness of existence. So all in all, we all need to keep the ones we love and care for close to us, or else everything will fall apart."

A small smile brightened his face. His eyes traveled to Luna slowly, eyeing her slowly. "You always have the best sayings." Harry finally said. Luna blushed slightly and smiled

"I guess I get it from all the books I've read."

They walked in silence, not really going anywhere in particular. Luna snuggled more into Harry's jacket, keeping the warmth around her. "Well I sure killed the conversation." Harry held somewhat of an angry tone.

"It's not like it can be avoided."

"True, but we should talk about it now. How about we lighten the mood and go to The Three Broomsticks?"

"I'd love to." Luna said as they neared to the lively spot. Harry, once again, opened the door for Luna. She smiled at him and walked into the door. The noise from the chattering students filled the air as the pair pushed their way through the crowd.

"There's a table over there." Harry pointed to the deserted table in the corner. "What do you want to drink?"

"A butter beer would be splendid, Harry." Luna replied. He nodded his head and made his way up to the bar. Luna was finally able to get to the table. She sat down swiftly and began twirling her wand between her fingers. Little red sparks flew out of the end of her wand. She became entranced with the little patterns that she could make with each different twirl.

"Miss me?" Harry said close in her ear as he sat down with two large glasses in front of him. He handed her one of the mugs as he took a huge swing from his.

Luna took a small sip, the cool liquid quenching her thirst. "I was relieved, actually." Harry, oblivious to her sarcasm, looked at her quizzically. "I'm joking, Harry."

"You said it so seriously." Harry barked a laugh at his gullibility. "Did you find the perfect costume?"

"Oh yes," Luna began. "It's perfect. Ginny said you will enjoy it very much." Luna hid a chuckle when Ginny's words about busting a load popped into her head.

"I bet I will. Describe it to me."

"No, sir. It's a surprise, remember?" Luna whispered as she leaned her body closer to Harry.

"Then I guess I'll have to imagine what it will be until the ball." Harry whispered back, also leaning his body towards her. He looked at her above his glasses with an eyebrow raised. Luna giggled much like Hermione does around Ron. Luna quickly realized that she was flirting unintentionally, but did nothing to stop it.

"What does your costume look like?" Luna asked.

"No ma'am. It's a surprise, remember?" Harry mocked. Luna hit him playfully on his arm.

"That's no fair!"

"Of course it's fair. I don't get to see yours, so you don't get to see mine." Luna barked a laugh at Harry's mock sternness. Harry soon joined her laughter. They laughed for a long time, earning weird glances from passing people, until they were able to calm themselves down.

Luna took a long sip of her butter beer before she commented, "I haven't really seen this side of you."

Harry looked at her before he shrugged his shoulders. "I guess because I've had so much to concentrate on that I haven't had time to relax. I'm always at peace when I'm around you."

"I'm glad I can give you peace." Her smile was small, but still warm. Her heart gave a flutter when he smiled back and placed his hand on hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. Her heart skipped a beat at the sudden contact. Luna enjoyed the feeling that washed over her. They both locked eyes with each other. Luna couldn't decipher what emotion was in his eyes, but she somehow knew that it was a good feeling.

"We better go." Harry finally said, letting go of her hand. "It's almost time for the gates to close." They both stood up slowly and headed out into the streets, most of the students filling the space. Luna found Ron, Hermione, Constantine, Ginny, and Seamus walking together. Hermione waved Harry and Luna over, and they obliged.

"How did your day go?" Hermione asked the pair.

"Marvelous." Luna replied happily. "I got my stock of candy, so I'm a happy girl. What did you guys do?"

"Oh, nothing to be concerned with." Ron replied for Hermione. Hermione's face was a maroon color, and Luna concluded that she really didn't want to know anymore. The whole group talked about upcoming events, while Harry and Luna continued to steal glances every once in a while. All too soon, Luna and Constantine departed from the group and made their way over to the Ravenclaw table.

"So spill the juicy details." Constantine whispered in her ear. Luna excitedly filled her in on every little detail of the day's happenings with Harry, reminding herself of Hermione talking about Ron. "You two were so cute when we were walking back up. You guys kept sneaking glances and smiling goofily."

"I know! I just hope I'm not misunderstanding these signals."

"Trust me, I'm sure he likes you." Constantine smiled warmly as she swallowed some water.

"I actually think I'm going to go back to my room now. I want to read that book that Remus gave me a while back. I need to since I'll be meeting the tribe soon."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow then." Luna stood up slowly and began walking out of the Great Hall.

"Wait!" Harry shouted behind her. Luna turned around and smiled at him as she waited for him to reach her.

"Yes, Harry?"

"I just wanted to say I had a good time on our date." Harry whispered with a large grin on his face.

Luna's jaw would have hit the floor if it wasn't attached to her skull when Harry admitted to their date. Luna quickly regained composure and a sweet smile spread across her face. "I had a great time, too."

"I better get back to my table." He seemed to be debating something in his mind. Luna stood still for a moment, waiting for whatever was to happen. Finally, Harry scooped her into a tender hug and brushed his cheek against hers. Luna's eyes turned its bright silver color at the contact.

"You accidentally did the cheek thing again." Luna finally replied.

"I know I did." Harry said with a husky voice. "Pleasant dreams, Luna." Luna stared at his retreating form, her eyes wide with what Harry just insinuated. Her wide eye expression earned her a few strange glances from some students. Luna practically sprinted back to her room, her inner werewolf having a field day. Once she finally shut the door to her room, the werewolf released its thoughts.

'_I am certain he wants you.'_ The werewolf purred

'_I…I don't –"_

'_You can't deny it now, human. He initiated the mating ritual, on purpose. He took you out on something called a date. He treated you like a queen today. He flirted with you. You cannot be that blind.'_

Luna thought for a second over the day's events. She did agree that Harry and Luna were flirting at The Three Broomsticks, and that he was a gentleman the whole day. It seemed odd, however, that Harry would purposely make her feel all hot and bothered. She never thought of Harry in a physical aspect. Sure, she would think of them kissing, but nothing beyond that. The idea of doing more than kissing him stirred mixed emotions in the pit of her stomach.

'_Ah, yes.'_ It instigated _'How could I not know? You are letting yourself fall in love with him before you commit to sex. Those are good intentions, but remember what happened with the other werewolf? If any such contact continues, it will be harder to contain me. I will try my best to contain myself in the following weeks, but I can't guarantee anything. Just hurry up the process.'_

Luna chuckled at its annoyance, but was thankful that it would try to contain itself. She walked over to her trunk to pull out the ancient book Remus gave her before she came to school. She ran her fingers over the cover, the old leather feeling like silk. She sat in one of the chairs that sat near the blazing fire and began reading intently:

_**This book is intended to prepare young werewolves to understand what happens during the mating rituals and what is expected of them after. This particular book is intended for female werewolves or loup-garou puellas. One should also seek advice from female werewolves who have already have born pups. - **_**JELENA FRUMA- **__

_**In typical werewolf packs, usually the alpha male has dominance over the entire pack including the alpha female. But this not always true. During the mating season the alpha female takes total dominance even while the pups are still in the den. This is for the rest of the pack to know that she is the one to serve. She also decides where the den will be. With this in the packs mind, they go in search of food and bring it back to the den either for the hungry, laborious female or for the pups.**_ _**When two werewolves are about to mate, they bond, sleeping close and touching each other more and more. They will approach each other making quiet whining sounds, touch each other, and become drastically more physical. There may be mutual grooming and nibbling of each other and the two may walk pressed close together. The two may even sleep side by side.**_ _**As the courtship progresses, the male will smell the genital region of the female to determine her readiness to mate, his tongue flicking in and out, testing the air for traces of her sex hormones.**_

"That's so awkward." Luna said with her eyes looking at the last sentence. She willed herself to continue reading.

_**The females usually begin to suggest moving the courtship to the next level. She will begin to explore the male's body and allow him to explore some of her body. Near the time of mating, the female begins to feel actual sexual bliss and releases her sex hormones. This time period lasts until she finally mates. Every Male in the pack reacts to this, even the male pups. Only male werewolves will try to force themselves upon an unsuspecting female during this time. Typically, the pair will separate and mate, but sometimes the sex hormones are released before a female has chosen who she will commit herself to. In that case, the female must fight of advances until she is either forced or she willingly consents to a male. **_

_**The initiation of mating is almost like the typical werewolf greeting, except the male brushes his cheek against the female. The female must then bare her neck in open invitation, and the male nuzzles it. They mate many times during their courtship, even when they are in the presence of other werewolves. After the first mating ritual (which typically lasts for 3 days), the pair returns to their pack. In cases of forced mating, the male merely takes her to a secluded area and mates. **_

Once she finished reading the first chapter, Luna stared at the book curiously. She felt odd knowing that a werewolf could force themselves upon her. She shuddered at the thought of Sterling coming up to her and forcing himself, but the book clearly stated that a werewolf male would force themselves upon her, not a human. It cleared her mind briefly. Her mind then wondered if she actually had to mate with a werewolf, or if it was possible that she could be with an ordinary man. She placed the book gently on the nightstand. She sat on her bed silently, letting the entire information sink into her head.

"I wish there was someway I could calm down the hormones." Luna whispered.

'_There is a way, if you let me take control again.'_ The seriousness of the werewolf's voice sparked Luna's interest.

"I'm not sleeping with anyone, if that's what you were going to suggest." Luna said out loud as if it were standing right in front of her.

'_I promised you I wouldn't do that. But, there is a way to release some of the tension that is building up. If you will trust me, I will help you out.'_

Luna stared down at her hands, outweighing the options presented to her. If she didn't trust the wolf, she would probably explode and end up just sleeping with someone without any love behind it. If she trusted the wolf, the tension would dull down and she can continue searching for the right person. "Alright," She said slowly. "I'll let you take control."

Luna looked around the room, expecting to feel some sudden change to her. Instead she was greeted with nothing. She sighed in defeat and laid down on the bed. All of a sudden, however, she felt her hand begin to twitch. She looked at it quizzically. It finally escaped whatever battle it was in as the fingers stretched out. Luna looked at it as if it was a foreign object, no longer being able to feel anything in that hand. Her other hand sprang to life without Luna's control. The hands went to her shirt and began taking off her clothes. "What are you going to do?" Luna questioned nervously.

'_Don't worry.'_ It replied. _'All you need to do is close your eyes and think of Harry.'_ Luna's body made its way over to the bed and crawled in slowly. Luna's eyes began to close heavily. Luna concentrated as much as she could on Harry, thinking about how kind he is and how handsome he looked. Just at that point, Luna felt a large amount of pressure in her groin as a moan escaped her lips. Her eyes shot open, trying to figure out what was going on. She noticed one of her hands was in her underwear. Luna looked down in horror that she was touching…herself. It always seemed to be the taboo thing to do. Luna tried to regain control over her body, but the werewolf refused to give up. _'I'm not giving up that easily. I know we both like it. Now just let us enjoy it, instead of keeping it inside.'_

Another moan flew out of Luna's mouth as her hand began moving in circular motions. There wasn't a word that could describe the sensations that were invading her body. Luna's back arched, twisted, wiggled at the new contact that she was receiving. Following her orders, Luna kept thinking of Harry. Soon she began imagining that Harry himself was doing these actions to her. Luna's mind went into overload was the pressure built up to a pleasurable state. A huge wave washed over Luna as she felt her body convulse, her breath very rigid. A sticky substance sprayed onto Luna's hand and Luna gasped at all the pleasure that exploded from her. After a few minutes of resting, Luna opened her eyes and got out of the bed slowly. She saw that there was a damp spot on her mattress, and that her hand was still wet. Walking to the bathroom quickly, Luna washed her hands 5 times to make sure the substance was off her hand. She walked back to her bed and stared at it awkwardly, hardly believing what she did in it. She grabbed her wand and cleaned her mess up on the bed. She crawled back into the bed and closed her eyes, this time in an attempt to sleep.

'_I told you you'd like it.'_ A voice in her head whispered before Luna succumbed to sleep. Luna had a permanent smile upon her face as she began to sleep. The rest of the night guaranteed her interesting and enjoyable dreams dealing with a certain boy with emerald eyes, a lightening bolt scar, and messy jet black hair.

**A/N: The lullaby that Luna sings is the original German version of Brahms' Lullaby (you know…lullaby, and goodnight, with roses bedight). I'm sorry it took me such a long time to write the chapter. I had a lot of stuff going on, so it made it hard to write. To make up for it, I put two chapters together. I almost was going to add some of the next chapter into this one, but I decided against it. So another thing, this chapter was somewhat awkward to write, thus because of the events that happen in Luna's room. I really do feel awkward to write stuff like that, but oh well…I wanted to test some uneasy waters. Did you guys like it? As always, review for me and let me know what you think!**


	9. Nothing is Too Wonderful

**A/N: I'm sorry it took me forever to write this chapter. I had a serious case of writer's block, plus I had a butt load of work to do. I'll try to keep up with this a little better next time. This is going to be an interesting chapter. Don't know if I like it or not, but I felt that I should put it up anyway. As always, read and review. **

"I'm so excited about the ball!" Ginny exclaimed happily as they left Charms. Luna nodded her head absentmindedly, her face paling. Truth be told, Luna was beyond nervous about the ball. She didn't know whether she'd be a good dancer, or if she'd even be entertaining. Harry unintentionally added even more pressure on her. It was a huge disappointment to the male population that she was going with Harry, yet some guys still persisted on asking her. Luna would kindly remind them that she was already going with someone else, but they would just try to convince her to go with them instead.

Lavender managed to get a small group of girls to create the "I Love Harry Potter and Hate Luna Lovegood" group, or so it seemed to be. Luna would walk down the halls and earn many glares from various students, though most of them seemed to be the younger years. Luna never really saw Lavender, mainly because they were in different years and houses. Luna followed Ginny a few steps back, not really wanting to hear about the ball. No matter how she tried to escape the topic, someone always brought it up.

Another thing that was bothering Luna was her visit with the pack. To be frank, it scared her shitless. The only werewolves she had been around were Remus and her mother. Even though Remus gave her lessons on how to greet werewolves and all the formalities, she didn't know what else was expected of her. Would they be wild savage beasts that tear human carcasses in their spare time? Or would they act civilized and proper, in a royal manner? She knew no answers. Every time she tried to answer her unyielding questions, more questions popped in her head.

Her thoughts were rudely interrupted by the sound of a high pitched scream. There was a crowd of students eagerly huddled in a huge circle, peering at the center excitedly. Luna and Ginny made their way through the group until their eyes met with a poor young Ravenclaw girl crying her eyes out. She was staring at her bag with horrified eyes. Luna quickly noticed that snakes were slithering all over her bag, hissing angrily and barring their fangs. Luna looked around the group to see if anyone looked suspicious. Her eyes landed swiftly to Draco and his goons.

His smirk was more pronounced as he looked upon the sight in front of him. Crabbe and Goyle stood dumbly behind him with dumb chuckles escaping their mouths. Pansy held her nose up in the air as she 

giggled annoyingly. If there was one thing that Pansy and Lavender could have in common, it would be their laughter. Out of no where, Hermione came flying to the center of the group and stared angrily at Draco.

"How in the world could you just stand there and watch? You're Head Boy for Christ's sake!" Hermione screamed hotly.

"My friends were the ones that did it," He said indifferently. "I don't give a damn about it." Pansy giggled even louder and practically latched onto Draco's arm as if she was a leech. Draco shrugged his arm stiffly away from Pansy, which earned him a hurt glance from Pansy. Luna raised her eyebrows at him, but did nothing more.

"Dumbledore made a huge mistake in making you Head Boy." Hermione whispered with fury. Luna moved over to the crying girl and quickly got rid of the snakes. She kneeled down next to the wailing girl and gave a warm smile.

"What's your name?" Luna asked sweetly, and almost motherly.

"A–Arwen. Arwen Baranowa ." The girl hiccupped. She looked up with bright blue eyes that were filled with tears. Luna tucked a piece of the girls light brown hair behind her ears. The girl hung her head and continued crying. Luna pulled out her wand and got rid of the angry snakes.

"Such a pretty name, Arwen. The snakes are gone. You don't have to worry about them anymore."

Arwen took a terrified glance at her bag to finally notice it being restored back to normal. Arwen smiled softly at her bag, but still looked apprehensive. "What if they're just hiding? Then they'll come out and strangle me and kill me and–."

"They won't come out. I promise." Luna helped the tiny girl up to her feet and gave her a brilliant smile. "How would you like a Sugar Quill?" The girl's eyes became as large as the moon at the prospect of possible sugar. Luna rummaged in her bag until she pulled out the Sugar Quill and gave it to Arwen.

Arwen shoved the Sugar Quill in her mouth and began sucking on it. She smiled at Luna happily. "Thanks."

"You're very welcome."

"Just what we need, another annoying mudblood hyper." Pansy squealed loudly, making her way over to Luna. "She should realize what she is and just go live the muggle way."

"That choice isn't up to you, now is it?" Luna replied coolly, not feeling like getting into an argument.

"Come on, Pansy. You're going to Dumbledore's office. Now." Hermione threatened, taking a strong hold onto Pansy's upper shoulder.

"Don't touch me, you filthy thing." Pansy yelled annoyingly. Hermione just rolled her eyes and began to drag her in the direction of Dumbledore's office. "Draco! You won't let this happen to me!"

Draco began to respond, but something caught his eye behind Luna. Luna noticed that for a split second, Draco's whole demeanor changed. He no longer was the sarcastic bastard that everyone knew him as. He seemed to be an ordinary man, with a protective, yet loving, look. Luna stared at this reaction, but it was swiftly gone.

"Just…suck it up, Pansy." Draco replied softly. He turned around and glided away from the group. Pansy gave a wild howl in anger as Hermione dragged her with a pleasing look upon her face.

"Thanks again for the Sugar Quill!" Arwen said while tugging on Luna's sleeve. Luna smiled at Arwen as she sprinted over to her friends. Luna turned around, hoping that the crowd would be in tact so she could find what Draco was looking at, but everyone began to move. Ginny and Constantine walked up to her and shrugged their shoulders, seemingly just as confused as Luna was about Draco's reaction.

"Maybe it was his good deed for this decade." Ginny offered when they made their way to the Library.

"I don't know," Luna began. "It seemed so _caring_. That's so out of his character. Too strange, if you ask me."

"It's probably something we'll never find out." Constantine shrugged. "And why in God's name would Snape give us an essay the weekend of the ball?"

"Just to spite you, Constantine." Luna replied. She sat down at one of the tables and pulled out her potions book. "Wouldn't you be surprised if he didn't give us an essay?"

Ginny opened her mouth to say something, but then quickly shut it. She then chuckled and said, "If Snape didn't give us an essay, then hell would have frozen over."

The girls began to giggle loudly, until they were shushed by the librarian. "Alright," Luna whispered. "Let's get this essay done so we don't have to worry about it late

- - - - - - - - -

The silence that took over Luna's room was rudely interrupted by a consistent and annoying scream. Luna shot out of her bed as if Voldemort himself was in her room. She grabbed her wand and twirled around, searching for the source of the scream. Finally, her eyes narrowed to a foreign object that lay next to her clock. Luna stomped over to the object and picked it harshly. It was an extremely bright yellow, the majority of the front a yellow speaker. She searched to see if there was a battery anywhere in sight, but there wasn't one. The object continued to scream to the high heavens.

"Silencio." Luna demanded. The object stopped for a second, and then uttered an even louder scream. Luna covered her ears and yelled in frustration. In desperation, Luna picked it up and was about to toss it out her window, when she noticed a small inscription that read: _Product of the Weasley brothers._ Luna' eyes formed deeper slits as her mind quickly connected to whom would do such a thing to her. Precisely at that moment, Ginny waltzed into her room with a satisfied smirk.

"Rise and shine, Luna." Ginny said innocently, but Luna knew better. Luna took one more glance at the object before she hurled it out the window. "What the hell are you doing?" Ginny screamed as she ran to the window. They both looked out the window and watched the object smash into a thousand pieces. It gave one last death cry before there was silence.

"Getting rid of that horrible creation of your brothers." Luna said annoyingly. "That was a horrible thing for you do to, my dearest Ginny."

"Aw, come on. It was just a joke. Plus, today is the Halloween Ball, and we need to eat and then get ready."

"What time is it?" Luna questioned as she stifled a small yawn.

"8:30." Ginny replied, beginning to pull out clothes for Luna.

"No one needs to get ready for a ball that's at 6 this early in the morning." Luna walked into the bathroom and began brushing her teeth.

"Well," Ginny shouted in the other room. "I figured that you, me, Hermione, and Constantine should get ready together…you know, have a girl's day." Luna rolled her eyes, but a small smile played across her face. She knew that getting up this early and to use Luna's room as the getting ready station was Hermione's idea, but she still felt better about the situation. It meant less time to be alone meddling with her thoughts.

"You have a point." Luna finally said as she emerged from the bathroom. "Hand me that hoodie, please?" After Ginny gave the clothes a disgusting glance, Luna replied. "I'm not dressing up to dress up. I want to be comfortable."

"Yea, but those are still not making your body look great." Ginny said as Luna pulled a white hoodie over her head.

"I don't really care about my body." Luna replied dreamily. "These are really soft and comfortable." Luna slipped on a pair of shoes and looked at Ginny again. "This is what you get for waking me up this early. So don't expect me to be all normal right now."

Ginny chuckled at Luna and began to walk out of the room. "I don't care if you're normal or not. I just find it funny that you're walking out in your pajama bottoms and a hoodie." Their conversation stopped and they walked in a comfortable silence. All of the halls were deserted, Luna assuming most of them were still taking advantage of the Saturday morning. Luna was quickly proven wrong when she walked into the Great Hall. All of the 5th-7th year girls were eating their breakfast, if you could call a piece of toast breakfast, in a hurried manner and gossiping with fellow gossipers. Luna stared at the girls, their stress radiating off the walls. Luna began to walk towards the Ravenclaw table when a hand grabbed her upper arm.

"Where do you think you're going?" Hermione said with a bright smile.

"Over to my table…as usual." Luna looked at Hermione questionably.

"Not today you won't." Hermione said as she tugged Luna gently towards the Gryffindor table. "It's not like anyone cares today. All the girls are more concerned with what _not_ to eat." Luna glanced over and noticed Ginny and Constantine were already eating some fruit and toast.

"I see that the Shrieking Alarm worked." Constantine said immediately when she saw Luna. "It wasn't my idea, I swear!"

"Way to rat me out." Ginny teased as she gave a playful shove towards Constantine.

"It wasn't much a surprise, considering it is your brothers' product." Luna sat down and began piling her plate with food. Not wanting to starve herself, Luna took advantage of the untouched biscuits and sausage with delight.

"You nervous about the blind date ordeal?" Hermione questioned Constantine. She didn't even need to answer the question, because Constantine's face already showed her nervousness. Her brown eyes seemed to be duller, her skin pale, and her lips being chewed on every other minute.

"I'm sure he's a nice boy." Ginny said with a sympathetic smile. Constantine gave a small shrug and continued nibbling on her apple. Once everyone seemed to be finished eating, the four girls stood up and walked out of the Great Hall.

"So when are you guys coming up? I'm assuming you want to use my room to get ready." Luna stifled a laugh as the guilty looks appeared on the others' faces.

"If you wouldn't mind us using your room…" Luna nodded her head, and Hermione continued talking. "I guess we should all go grab all our stuff first, and probably take a shower first. So I guess you could say in like thirty minutes or so."

"Fine by me, that means I can sleep for a bit."

"We'll see you then." The girls parted ways and Luna made the trip up to her room quickly, eager to get in more sleep. Jumping onto her bed, Luna immediately passed out as soon as her head hit her pillow. However, it only seemed to last four seconds. She heard loud knocks interrupting her wonderful nap. She sat up groggily and with the flick of her wand, Luna unlocked the door. Constantine, Ginny, and Hermione came bustling in swiftly, carrying tons of bags and beauty supplies

"Was that seriously thirty minutes?" Luna moaned as she fell back into the bed.

"Actually, it was more than that. I would say about forty five." Constantine said as she plopped her stuff on Luna's desk. "Time to rise and shine, Luna. You want to make sure you look hot for Harry."

"I'm probably going to blow my chances anyway." Once Luna got surprised glances from her friends, she finally admitted, "I don't know how to dance."

A smile played across Hermione's face and she responded, "You seriously think Harry knows how to dance?"

Ginny snorted loudly. "He is such an awkward dancer. Do you remember the Yule Ball and when he danced with Patil?" Hermione joined Ginny's laughter as Ginny continued. "He looked like he'd be petrified the whole time. He was so stiff and barely touched her. So I'm pretty sure you have nothing to worry about."

"It also depends on what kind of music will be played. I think that it's going to be more of a grinding dance, since the Yule ball was a formal affair."

"Grinding?" Luna questioned.

"Dirty dancing."

"That doesn't sound good." Luna responded, scrunching up her nose. "I don't want to get dirty and ruin my dress."

Ginny howled in laughter and explained, "You don't literally get dirty, Luna. It's just a term that was tagged for dancing where people were touching each other and doing suggestive hip movements."

"Oh."

"You could probably let your wolf thing take over the dancing if you're that unsure of your skills." Constantine suggested.

"Then I'd probably end up trying to sleep with him on the dance floor, no thank you." Luna said as she pulled her knees towards her chest. "I don't know. Maybe I'll figure it out then."

"That's what most of us did." Hermione responded. "You really don't have to worry. I'm sure he'll just be glad to be with you."

"You really think so?"

"I know so, Luna. It's not that hard to tell. It seems the only person that is blind to that fact is you."

"Well, in Luna's defense, I didn't know Harry liked me until he kissed me after one of the games." Ginny walked over to Luna and smiled at her.

"Well, why must we keep talking about my date, when Constantine has the blind date tonight." Luna grinned inwardly at her masterful switch of topics. Constantine tried to shrink into the chair that she was sitting in. Everyone's eyes were on her, waiting for her to say something. Finally, Luna decided to ask Constantine, "Has he told you what he'll look like?"

"Yea, he sent me a letter this morning." Constantine responded in a small voice. She began to rummage through one of her bags until she pulled out a small piece of parchment. She held it out towards Luna, nudging her to read it. Luna grabbed it slowly and began reading it with Ginny and Hermione looking over her shoulder:

_Dear Constantine,_

_I shall be wearing all black on the eve of the Ball, with a white mask covering the top portion of my face. I shall be alone near the main staircase, and holding a single red rose. Other men have seen angels, but I when I see thee, thou art be enough._

_Your Prince._

Luna couldn't help but feel giddy at Constantine's luck with this mysterious "prince." She smiled widely and looked up at Constantine happily. "We'll have to make sure that you look special, since your prince thinks of you as an angel."

Constantine blushed madly and Luna could tell she was feeling giddier than the rest of the girls. "I just hope it's not Neville."

"I'm sure it's not. Neville's not that romantic." Ginny assured Constantine. "Now, let's get started on our hair. I'm going to take a guess and say that you guys want your hair up?"

The other girls nodded their heads and Hermione spoke up. "I'm going to suggest that we just do our own individual thing first, and if we need help then ask. We don't want one of us looking not up to par because we asked her to help out so much."

"Good thinking." Ginny agreed. With a flick of Luna's wand, three more mirrors appeared in the room, one for each girl. Luna walked over to one of the mirrors and stared at it intently, not sure exactly what to do. She walked over to Ginny's bag and grabbed on of her magical beauty book and searched for a good hair style. After looking for thirty minutes, she eventually found a picture of a girl with big curls.

"I can at least start with that." Luna said to herself. She studied exactly how to do the spell to guarantee the curls, and then muttered, "Crispus saeta." Instantly, her hair morphed into the curly locks that Luna saw in the book, and she smiled to herself. Deciding that it could be put up loosely, she found the correct spell and said, "Traho sursum saeta laxe." Bobby pins flew towards her hair and pinned it up in the necessary areas. She smiled at the curls that remained near her face, framing her face perfectly.

"Luna, I swear you're going to steal Seamus from me tonight." Ginny said as she crossed over to Luna and stared at their reflection. "You seriously need to wear your hair like this more often."

Luna looked at what Ginny did to her hair, and was amazed at its transformation. Her long red hair was now in tight curls that gave Ginny a very youthful look. She knew Ginny would probably go all out on her make up, and that her actual costume would show that she wasn't a little girl anymore. "You're hair looks great, Ginny."

"Why thank you. Oh what are you going to do for your eye make up?"

"I haven't really thought about it, really."

"I think there's a spell in here that's supposed to be able to pick the right color. You'll have to do some digging though."

Luna picked up the book again and spent another good thirty minutes searching for the spell, but she finally found it. She was hesitant, but decided to use it anyway. Taking a deep breath, Luna whispered, "Oculus planto." A tingling feeling was present on her eyelids, and Luna closed them tightly. After the sensation was gone, Luna opened her eyes slowly and couldn't repress the gasp that escaped her lips. A deep purple eye shadow created the perfect smokey eye, with a charcoal color eye liner. Luna's silver grey eyes seemed to be more prominent that ever, and Luna could feel the wolf inside of Luna purr in satisfaction.

'_I must say you look very attractive, my human friend.'_ It said appreciatively.

'_Thank you very much. You must behave yourself tonight. No trying to lure in random boys.'_

'_What about the boy that shall be accompanying you?'_

'_If I need help, you will know. But I don't want to have him get the wrong idea. No sex tonight.'_

'_I will wait then until you need me.'_ It stopped talking and Luna looked back happily at her reflection. "Now all I have to do is put on my dress and then I'm done."

"I could use some help over here!" Hermione shouted as a hairbrush got stuck in her curly mass of hair. Luna chuckled and quickly went over to Hermione's rescue.

- - - - - - - - - -

Luna waited nervously in her room. She had checked over her makeup about 30 times and her hair about 100 times. Luna smoothed out her silver and gold Grecian dress over again as she wrung her hands together. Luna began pacing her room frantically as her nerves started to take over her. Finally, she heard a knock on the door. Luna stopped abruptly, staring at the door like a deer caught in headlights. Luna finally shook her nerves away and walked to the door. When her hand touched the door knob, Luna sighed and turned it slowly. Luna's mouth almost hit the floor as she saw the sight in front of her. There stood before her was a handsome man wearing traditional Trojan warrior uniform, except it took of the breast plate and had a blue woolen shirt showing some of his chiseled chest. His hair was still in its usual messy style, and his green eyes sparkled.

Harry's face went from a wide smile to a long stare as he eyed her up and down. In the back of Luna's mind, she knew that he was checking her out, but for some reason it startled her. She shifted somewhat uncomfortably at his obvious stare, and cleared her throat. Harry regained composure and looked at Luna in the eyes again, and the sexy grin that was only known to Harry reappeared on his face.

"You look amazing." He finally uttered.

"You look very handsome, Harry." Luna replied in a soft voice, suddenly extremely shy.

"I do think it is time for us to make our way to the ball; that is if you still wish to come with me." He held out his arm towards her and held the grin that always made her melt. She gave him her best smile and took it happily. She could already hear the clamor of other students waiting excitedly in front of the Great Hall. As they made their way down, the couple earned a couple cat calls, both towards Harry and Luna. Both seemed to be highly embarrassed by the whole situation and quickly made their way down to the hall.

"How nervous is Ronald?" Luna asked Harry politely.

"I've never seen him so nervous, honestly." Harry said with a chuckle. "He kept on going over his outfit the whole day. He even attempted to iron his clothes."

"When you say attempted…"

"He successfully lit his costume on fire. Not all of it," Harry added at the startled look from Luna. "just the corner of the sleeves. We were able to repair it, so all is good."

"You had me worried that Ronald completely destroyed his outfit. Hermione would have killed him if she found out."

"Exactly why Ron had a panic attack after it happened." Harry laughed even harder, and Luna's heart seemed to melt at the happiness in the laugh. "I'll never forget the face Ron had afterwards."

"I'm sure you won't."

"Oi!" Someone yelled behind the couple. "Don't go telling everyone that!"

"Hello Ronald." Luna gave him a small smile, which he returned. His Romeo outfit was nothing too extravagant, but fit him perfectly. He wore a grey dress shirt, with it unbuttoned to reveal some of his chest, and black slacks. His red hair contrasted nicely with the grey shirt, and it made his blue eyes were more prominent than ever. Sure enough, on the corner of Ron's sleeves were little scorch marks. Memories of her past crush on Ron flooded her mind, making Luna's cheeks become slightly pink.

Ron finally seemed to notice exactly what Luna was wearing, and failed miserably at concealing his stare. His face, with his mouth slightly ajar and eyes wide, would have been comical in any other situation, but Luna didn't like this attention. Luna, one again, shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. This time, Harry noticed. Harry pulled Luna behind him protectively and looked at Ron with raised eyebrows.

Hermione walked over to the three and brought Ron back to reality. "You two look great." Hermione's simple sapphire dress sparkled as she glided across the floor. Confidence radiated off Hermione, and her pearly smile was a true smile.

"You look beautiful, my dove." Ron said affectionately, kissing Hermione's hand properly. She blushed madly, but kept her smile.

"Dove?" Luna questioned as Ron and Harry began to talk.

"It's his pet name for me." Hermione whispered. "His is teddy bear."

"Can I please use that against him?"

"Only if you wish to die, therefore proceed." Hermione giggled softly and continued, "Is Ginny going to actually hide from Ron?"

"Of course, her costume is a bit revealing, and Ron would probably force her to wear an Eskimo suit. She said she'll find us once our dates are away."

"Oh, look over there. Doesn't that guy look like Constantine's mystery date?"

Luna's eyes traveled across the hall and immediately landed on the all black figure near the foot of the steps. As he promised, he held a single red rose in his hands, his pale hands holding it gracefully. The white mask covered the top portion of his head, including his hair. From what Luna could tell, the mystery man was attractive even with a mask on.

"And low and behold, here comes our Constantine." Luna said dreamily as her eyes spotted Constantine's metallic green Renaissance dress. Her mask only covered her forehead and eyes, and her hair was pulled up in a neat French twist. Constantine glanced over in Luna and Hermione's direction. She gave them a nervous wave as she made her way towards her date.

"We shouldn't watch. It will make her feel more awkward if we're watching."

"You're right, but that doesn't make me not want to." Luna said, but respected Constantine's privacy and turned around. Harry looked past Luna and stared in Constantine's direction.

"Who's Constantine going with?" Harry questioned.

"I don't know. It's a mystery date."

"You mean blind date?"

"That would be the proper term, I believe." Luna shrugged her shoulders and tilted her head. "We should give her privacy."

The clock rang six times, signaling that the ball had officially started. Everyone grabbed their date and walked in. Harry, once again, offered his arm to Luna and led her into the Great Hall. Luna stared in awe at the orange and black decorations consuming the walls and tables. Halloween candy literally covered the tables. Luna looked at Harry and smiled. Suddenly, nerves washed over her again as she began to think about what kind of dancing would be happening. There was proper dancing, which included Victorian style moves, and then there was the type of dancing that Hermione told her was "dirty dancing." She really hoped that there wasn't any of the latter.

"Welcome all to the Halloween Ball." Dumbledore's voice rand out to the crowd, "I see some traditional and very unique costumes tonight. The night has just come upon us, and without further ado, let the ball begin." Dumbledore clapped his hands, making the lights dim and the music played through invisible speakers. The beat pumped throughout the large room. People made their way to the center of the room and began dancing. Luna quickly realized that everyone wasn't dancing the Victorian way, and Luna's heart stopped.

"Care to dance?" Harry asked nervously.

"Y-yes." Luna stuttered, more nervous than Harry. The next couple of steps seemed like a walk to death to Luna. Her heart sped rapidly, and her palms became clammy. When they stopped, Luna took a frantic glance around the room to observe exactly what the others were doing. The girls had their backs to the guys, and were moving their hips back and forth. Luna turned her back to Harry, and before they started dancing, she consulting her wolf.

'_I'm probably going to need your help with this type of dancing.'_

'_Don't worry,'_ it responded. _'You just start, and I'll help you here and there.'_

Luna gulped thickly and began moving her hips slowly. Luna felt Harry stiffen some behind her, but he quickly relaxed and moved along with her. Luna kept her head down in embarrassment of the whole situation, and then she felt herself take a step closer to Harry.

'_In order for this to work, you have to be closer to him.'_ The wolf purred in her ear. Luna nodded her head and continued the dancing. The more she did it, the more she felt herself getting into it. Something came alive in Luna that made her crave more satisfying moves. Luna closed her eyes and got lost in the music. Unfortunately, Harry didn't do much more than what he did to begin with, and Luna quickly became frustrated. Luna began looking around at the others and noticed the guys getting really into the dancing. The guys hands were gripping on the girls hips, some even had their hands on their thighs. Luna stared in envy, hoping that Harry would do something like the others.

'_Maybe making the boy jealous would make him more protective and dance with you more provocatively.'_ The wolf suggested in her mind. Luna felt hesitant about the idea, since she knew how strong Harry's jealousy could go. She still thought it was a good idea none the less. Luna looked around to see if there was an available guy. She saw Neville standing in the corner and cringed at the thought of dancing with him. She knew Neville had always had some feelings for Luna, so she didn't want to risk him thinking she felt the same way. Luckily, Ginny and Seamus were dancing near them, and Luna waved her arm to get her attention. Ginny looked up, puzzled and mouthed to her what she wanted. Luna mouthed that she wanted Ginny to dance with Harry to make him jealous. A wicked grin spread across her face and she turned around to Seamus and whispered in his ear. He also got a huge smirk and the two made their way over to Harry and Luna.

"Harry," Ginny started. "Would you let me dance with you for a song?"

"Uh…sure." Harry said hesitantly. Ginny and Luna swapped places and Luna walked a little ways with Seamus.

"Nice costume." Luna remarked, eyeing his costume, or lack there of. Most of his costume consisted of body paint to resemble fur. He had fairly realistic fangs in his mouth, and even managed to make his eyes an eerie amber color. The only item of clothing he was wearing was a pair of ripped jeans.

"Thanks, love." Seamus said happily. "You look pretty hot in that dress, if I say so myself. Ginny told me that you wanted to switch to make Harry jealous. Why must you do this? I'm sure that's not that hard whenever another guy talks to you."

Luna blushed slightly at the compliment. "Thanks, Seamus. He just isn't really dancing with me; he just stood there, so I thought that if you really danced with me, maybe he'd get protective and try to impress me."

"Harry Potter's only flaw is dancing?" Seamus laughed heartedly. "Who would have ever guessed that was it. Well, we should dance in order to make this work." Luna nodded and began moving her hips slowly. "That's not going to make him jealous." Seamus said as he pulled her closer to him. "Really get into it, like this." He grabbed hold of her upper hip and began controlling her hips, which made her butt press slightly against his groin. Luna's eyes became wide, but knew that he was not doing it in a perverted way. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable. Just to let you know, I have my eyes set on Ginny only. So you have no need to feel like I'm hitting on you."

"You're fine, Seamus." Luna responded airily. Luna leaned her head back and decided that she would risk letting the wolf have a little more control. Her hips pressed even harder against Seamus' waist and she made her movements more intense. Seamus moaned in her ear and held onto her as she continued to dance.

"I think Harry's jealous now." Seamus whispered. Luna looked up and saw Harry glaring at Seamus and his hands were balled up into fists. He stopped dancing with Ginny and stomped over to Luna and Seamus.

"Can I have my date back now?" Harry growled.

"Thanks for the dance, Seamus." Luna said politely. Seamus nodded his head and continued dancing with Ginny. Harry pulled her roughly over to him and began dancing with her with more vigor. Luna gasped at the sudden contact. He grabbed onto her lower waist and pulled her into him, which made her mind go into a frenzy. Luna stood still in shock for a second as Harry began working his magic, then Luna began responding. Luna completely let go of all of her nerves and only concentrated on the way Harry and her were moving in sync. The music slowed down to a soft piano melody. Luna stopped and turned to Harry with a small smile. His face was flushed from the heat of the room, but Luna still thought he looked perfect. Harry gave her a wide smile and began leading her in a simple slow dance. The voice that rang out sounded angelic and jazzy. Luna began paying close attention to the lyrics as her and Harry twirled in place.

_Look at the way the moon behaves._

_Look at the way she paints a silver ribbon on the waves._

_One thing I've learned and I'll share with you-_

_Nothing is too wonderful to be true._

Luna looked up at Harry and began studying him. He was about a head taller than she was, he could rest his chin on the top of her head with ease. His arms were long and toned from playing Quidditch. Luna always liked the feeling of his arms around her. It made her feel safe. She had a mental image of her snuggling up in his arms, and him holding her tightly and protectively. Luna smiled at the thought, but quickly shook her head of such thoughts. It seemed odd to be thinking of such thoughts with the man of your fantasy right next to you. Harry watched her face for a moment and smiled, causing Luna to blush. They continued dancing and listening to the music.

_Each moment opens like a flower._

_The age of miracles comes every hour on the hour._

_Turn any corner, there's something new_

_And nothing is too wonderful to be true._

_If I'm perceived to be naive to be the way I am_

_Let people say I am a silly goof_

_Is life a plateful? Am I grateful?_

_Every day I am,_

_It's an amazing world in which we live_

_And I've got living proof._

Luna looked back up at Harry and it was his turn to blush. However, he didn't turn away from her. His emerald eyes held her gaze. His eyes showed an intensity that she couldn't place. She suddenly got a strong smell of almonds filled the air around them. Luna felt her throat go dry as she held his gaze. As she licked her lips, she saw his eyes flicker towards her lips. Goosebumps covered Luna's arms as they stopped dancing and just continued staring.

_Look at the way the moon behaves._

_Look at the way she paints a silver ribbon on the waves_

_Leading directly to me and you_

_Nothing is too wonderful to be true._

His head moved closer to hers, and Luna's heart nearly jumped out of her stomach. She tilted her head slowly. Her breathing became shallow as time seemed to stand still. She mentally prayed that her breath smelt alright. They were only inches apart when, unluckily, Neville tapped Luna on the shoulder. The two stopped, and Luna groaned loudly. She turned around and glared at Neville murderously and waited for him to say something.

"What, Neville?" Luna barked.

Neville flinched in the anger that was in her voice, and stuttered, "I – I was hoping that I could have a dance with you?"

"Actually," Ron said near the two, "She promised me a dance. Maybe another time." Ron gave a wink to Luna.

"That's right." Luna said, now smiling at Ron and mentally thanking him. "I'm so sorry."

"Oh it's alright. I'm going over…yea. See you later." Neville practically ran way from her in embarrassment, and Luna looked happily over at Ron.

"Thank you so much for that."

"No problem. You don't need Neville stepping on your toes now do you?" Everyone chuckled and Ron whispered something in Harry's ear. Harry nodded at whatever Ron said, causing Ron to turn to the group and say, "Hey, Harry and I are going to go find out the updated scores to the Ireland vs. Spain match. We'll be back soon." The boys walked away from the group quickly.

"So," Hermione started as the two walked over to two chairs. "You and Harry looked pretty comfortable there for that slow song." Luna blushed slightly, and Hermione gave a knowing look. "Now do you believe me that he likes you when he almost kissed you?"

"I guess." Luna eventually responded. "It just seems odd for someone to like me."

"Why?"

"I've never had a boyfriend. Hell, I've rarely had friends that were guys. So you can understand why it was hard for me to accept that fact."

"Well, now you know. So go knock his socks off and kiss him already." Hermione leaned closer to Luna and whispered softly. "From what I've heard, he's a very good kisser." She patted Luna on the hand and giggled. Harry and Ron returned shortly after, both with smiles on their faces.

"Spain's winning." Harry told the two girls. "Ireland sucks ass."

"Such a pleasant phrase." Luna joked. "What do I owe you, Ron, for saving me from Neville?"

"I told him I was going to dance with you, so I expect a dance." Ron said as he gave a glance at Harry. "If you don't mind, mate."

"Go on, I'll just dance with Hermione." Harry smiled at Ron and Luna went out to dance. Luckily, it was a slow dance, so she didn't have to worry about grinding up against him.

"Harry likes you a lot, Luna." Ron said as he bent over to her ear. "I haven't seen him this happy in a long time." Luna kept silent and allowed him to continue. "He's not going to hurt you in anyway, or take advantage of you like Sterling. I'm just asking you to give him a chance, because you're something that can help him out tremendously, more so that Hermione and I will ever be able to do."

Luna looked intently at Ron. "He has always had the chance, Ron. It's been up to him to act upon it."

"So you like him?"

"I think that's obvious, Ron."

"I'm a guy, it's hard for us to tell stuff like that." Ron gave a goofy grin and looked past her. "I think our time is up. Thank you for the dance."

"You're welcome, Ronald." Luna turned around and saw Harry walking up towards them, looking nervous as ever.

"I could use some fresh air." Harry said when he finally reached her. Luna nodded and followed him silently. The cool night air immediately cooled her down. The bushes were lit with small lights, and the full moon shown brightly down on them. "Does the full moon bother you in any way?" Harry suddenly asked.

Luna raised her eyebrows at the randomness of the question, but answered anyway. "Not that I've been able to tell. If it does, it's not significant or else I would be freaking out right now."

"Are you nervous about meeting the clan?"

"Yes," she answered truthfully. "I can't pretend I'm not. Remus did say that he would be there for me, so that makes me feel slightly better."

"He's been able to bring comfort in times of need." Harry said with a weak smile towards Luna. "I worry about you, Luna."

"What do you mean?" Luna heart stopped for a second, suddenly very nervous.

"I'm worried of what might happen to you. Every time I'm gone, I'm always worried that Sterling will be right behind to corner, ready to do the unthinkable." He gave a wave of his hand and let out a frustrated sigh. "I can't bear to see you upset whenever you see him. I can see it plain on your face. Every time that face comes up, I want to punch the living daylights out of Sterling."

"That's very kind of you, Harry–"

"I don't know what to do." Harry shouted. "I don't now how to act around you. I feel odd being around you, because I no longer seem significant in the world. It's all about you when I'm around you. It's all I care about. I don't even think of Ron or Hermione when I'm around you. I don't think about Voldemort. The only person that comes across my mind at night now is you. I couldn't stand to see Seamus dancing with you like that. I was too chicken to even touch you while dancing, but Seamus was doing it so much that I wanted to make you forget him."

Luna stared at him with extremely wide eyes. She was rooted in her place from shock. She remembered that she needed to breathe. Taking a long breath of air, Luna continued to watch Harry as he seemed to have an internal battle. He walked over to Luna and put both of his hands on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," He finally said, his eyes searching hers for a few moments.

"For what?" Luna whispered dreamily.

"This." He said softly as one of his hands went behind her head and he kissed her softly. The sensation from the kiss was something that couldn't be explained in words. His thin lips were extremely soft, and she could have sworn she felt sparks as they kissed. Luna kissed him back with the same eagerness, seeming to want even more with every kiss. Eventually, Harry pulled back from Luna and smiled softly. Luna let out a small whimper in protest, which earned a chuckle from Harry.

"There is no need to apologize for _that_." Luna said once she finally regained air. "I've liked you for awhile now, Harry."

"Since when?" He asked as he took a seat on the nearest bench.

"Towards the beginning of summer." She responded. "I was afraid you wouldn't like me since we didn't know each other that well."

"That's what made me like you. You let me in on so much going on in your life, and you carried confidence with you after the fact. It seemed that you didn't care what everyone else thought."

"Really? I've always cared what people thought."

Harry took a hold of her hand and gently rubbed it. "I know this seems like an odd question, but would you be my girlfriend?"

"Did you need to ask?" Luna responded, giving him a brilliant smile. "Of course I would." Harry's grin reached from ear to ear as he pulled her in for another gentle kiss. She smiled against his lips, enjoying the feeling of kissing him. The simplicity of the kiss seemed to make it even more special than the others she had ever kissed. Remus and Fred's kisses were out of lust, while Harry's was driven by caring. Luna enjoyed it much more than anything she'd experienced before.

"Lavender's really going to dislike me now." Luna joked once they pulled away from each other.

"I don't give a shit about anyone." Harry whispered. "It's only you."

Luna's smile widened at her first boyfriend. Somewhere deep in her heart, she knew that this was right, and that he really meant what he said. They stayed outside for the rest of the dance not caring who saw them. They just talked, joked, laughed, and did a little bit of kissing.

**A/N: The song is called "Nothing is Too Wonderful to be True" from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Musical. Please review and let me know what you think. Don't be cruel, be constructive. **


	10. The Pain of a Werewolf

**A/N: So I got…**_**interesting**_** reviews on the last chapter. Sorry some of you guys didn't like it. I told you that I wasn't sure if I liked or not. I'm telling you things are going to be explained with Draco. I promise…just not until later. Please be patient with me. But anyway, here's a new chapter. PLEASE BE KIND.**

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Luna's and Harry's relationship quickly became public knowledge overnight. It seemed to be the talk of the entire school. Ginny and Hermione constantly reminded Luna that they kept saying that he liked her. Constantine jumped on Luna when she found out. Harry was always the perfect gentleman towards Luna at all times, walking her to class and carrying her stuff. Luna had completely lost track of time whenever she was around him. They would sneak off and find empty class rooms to get a break from the constant gossip and staring they received.

Currently, they were hiding in the unoccupied Muggle Studies room.

"I think this is going to be our regular date spot." Luna joked, turning towards Harry and giving him a playful grin.

Harry looked up from the book he was flipping through, leaning against one of the desks. "The only downside to Hogwarts is the lack of romantic spots."

"I don't care about where I am, it's who I'm with." Luna tilted her head much like a dog and continued her exploration of the room. "How was Potions today?"

"Earned a detention, as usual." Harry replied somewhat angrily. "Snape just pisses me off so much. I don't understand why Dumbledore trusts him."

"Dumbledore sees something in Snape, even if it's hard for everyone else to see."

"But he's so _evil_. He was a Death Eater for Merlin's sake."

"Everyone has a bad part of their past. In order to move on in life, you can't dwell on mistakes made in the past." Luna walked over to him slowly and sat in the chair that belonged to the desk Harry was leaning against.

"You know, sometimes you remind me of Hermione."

"I hope that's meant as a compliment."

"Completely." Harry sat on top of the desk, giving all of his attention to her. "She says something along the lines of what you just said all the time. She's told me that for years."

"Maybe you should listen to her sometime."

"Do you listen to all the advice she tells you?"

"Truthfully? No." Luna sighed softly before she continued. "Ever since she's known me, she has tried her best to tell me that I am wrong in what I believe in. I know now that we're close friends, but she'll still do it sometimes."

"Well, some people won't accept something different and some people want to push their beliefs on others who think otherwise. It happens a lot in life. It's almost like really stuck up pure blood families. Most of them won't accept anyone that had a muggle ancestry, no matter how much the world changes around them. Voldemort is trying his best to get rid of muggles, forcing his opinions on everyone."

"I hope Hermione doesn't do something that drastic."

Harry chuckled and smiled down at her. "I highly doubt she has an ounce of evil in her."

Luna smiled brightly. "If she did, I'd have to kick her ass."

"That's my girl." Harry leaned in and gave her a swift kiss. "Are you nervous?"

Luna looked at him questionably. "What are you talking about?"

"This weekend…it's November 22nd."

Luna's mind went completely blank as the memory of her trip to the werewolf pack flooded her mind. Luna was so consumed in her new relationship with Harry that she didn't give a second thought to her trip.

"I…forgot." Luna replied, her voice shaky.

"Hey, don't fret." Harry said, jumping off the desk and getting on his knees in front of Luna. He held one of her hands in comfort. "Everything will be alright. Those werewolf chicks will be insanely jealous of you. Nothing can compare to you."

"But what if I mess up?"

"Then you mess up, and keep on going." Harry pulled her up from the chair, still holding to her hands as they stood. "You need to learn more about yourself and what you need to expect."

"I know." Luna looked down at her feet, trying to push her nerves in the back of her mind. "Are you going to miss me?"

"Of course I will. I will be a sick puppy moping around until I see you again."

"That was so cheesy." Luna replied. Both of them laughed softly.

"I couldn't resist a cheesy line. But I will miss you while you're gone." Harry took one of his free hands and lifted her chin to give her another kiss. Instead of the simple kisses that the two usually shared, Harry pressed his lips harder against her. Luna opened her mouth slightly, and Harry's tongue quickly went inside. Luna repeated the same movements that Harry was doing. She felt him moan slightly as the kiss quickly progressed. Luna pulled him closer to her, wanting more than just kissing. Harry kissed her eagerly as one of his hands made its way down her sides and to rest on her waist.

"Luna," Harry whispered in her ear when he finally pulled away. "We can't do anymore."

"What?" Luna said, pulling back quickly.

"I won't be able to control myself if we continue."

"I see." Luna said as she took a deep breath to calm down. "I was caught up in the moment."

"I was too." They sat in silence for what seemed like an hour when he finally said. "I better go serve that detention now."

"I wouldn't want my lover boy to get in any more trouble."

"Lover boy?"

Luna laughed at herself. "It was a joke. I'm not like those other girls."

"No you're not." Harry smiled at her and gave her a peck on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye." Harry closed the door behind him softly and Luna was once again surrounded by silence. She turned around and kicked the chair angrily behind her, and let out a yelp in pain. She knew that her hormones were going crazy due to her werewolf DNA, and that she needed to be more careful in what she did with Harry. It seemed so hard for her to restrain her desires whenever she was around him. Harry was having a hard time restraining himself too, Luna could tell that easily. It was the first time they actually made out instead of simple little kisses. She understood that he was trying to be gentle and not wanting to bring out anything in her, but a girl needs to make out. Luna laughed as she got the sudden image of Ginny telling Hermione about the sex book those months ago, and how she and Constantine giggled at the pictures in the book.

"_She never told me about her mystery date at the ball." _Luna thought suddenly. Luna barely saw them at all, and Constantine kept quiet about the night, only saying that she had a good time. Luna made the mental note to ask Constantine more about the ball.

"_I'm getting restless."_ The wolf inside her growled.

"_You're going to have to wait until I talk to the other werewolves."_

"_You must choose someone quickly, or else I will take action."_

"_I can handle that on my own. I can resist you."_

"_You don't understand. You are submitting to my requests more and more. I got you to fondle yourself. I got you to pull Harry towards you. I got you to dance with that other boy to make Harry jealous. Your strength is weakening. You won't be able to keep this up much longer."_

Luna gave a frustrated sigh as she continued the argument in her head. _"You only controlled that one night when you suggested I'd feel better."_

"_And you felt better. Do you honestly think you would go dance provocatively with that other boy to make Harry jealous? I __**made**__ you do that. You just didn't realize it. I needed some contact for Christ's sake."_

"_I can handle this on my own. Now leave me alone and shut up."_ Luna didn't realize that she was clenching her fists once the argument was done. She let her shoulders sag as she felt the stress increase. Luna left the room quickly, slamming the door behind her. She didn't have the patience anymore to deal with anything, really. She stormed her way around the school, constantly brooding in her thoughts. Letting her legs do things on their own accord, Luna didn't bother to notice where she was going. People looked at Luna oddly and she opened the doors and walked outside. She finally stopped at the lake. Luna looked around, thankful that no one was around the lake. Sighing, she laid on her back and stared up at the sky.

Cloud watching was something Luna did a lot, which only helped her earn her loony nickname. She couldn't exactly explain what it did for her, but it calmed her none the less. Luna tried to clear her mind by staring at the star shaped cloud above her. She stared at it fiercely, letting her mind recognize another shape in the sky.

A certain cloud caught her attention after a few minutes. She adjusted her eyes and looked at it, then groaned. It was the shape of a dog's head.

"_Why," _Luna thought _"Why must everything constantly remind me of werewolves?"_

"Someone doesn't look happy." A voice said behind her. Luna sat up turned her head to look at the red head towering above her.

"Hello Ron." Luna replied as she sat up and gave him a small smile. "Why do you say I'm not happy?"

"You usually have that surprised look on your face when you're happy, and since you look all serious, I figured you weren't happy." Ron sat down next to her and began fiddling with a pebble.

"I wouldn't say I'm unhappy." Luna paused to organize exactly how she felt. "I'm more worried."

"Over what?"

"I am going to see a werewolf pack to learn the proper way to get a mate and perform the coming of age ceremony."

"That's understandable." Ron tossed the pebble up in the air and caught it with ease. "I'd sure as hell be nervous. Then again, I don't have that problem. Maybe you should talk to my brother."

"You mean Fred and George?"

"No, my oldest brother Bill, you know the one that married Fleur. He got bit awhile back. He's fairly new at the whole werewolf thing…so maybe you two could help each other out."

"I had no idea he was a werewolf."

"Well, it's not something you broadcast to the world now is it? Fleur is a great girl for staying with him after all that he's gone through. Do you have any idea who all you will be meeting?"

"Not really. I do know that they knew my mom when she first became a werewolf."

"Then they have no reason to hate you. If they are willing to help you, then why would they try to bring you down?"

Luna looked over at Ron at the simple logic that he unearthed. "How can you be the angriest person I know, but be able to be the best listener and advice giver?"

"Who knows, I'm just good like that." Ron smiled at her. "Sometimes if you just stop thinking about something that's worrying you, then reasoning will come up in the most unlikely of places." Ron stood up and stretched his long limbs. "This is usually where I go to let out some steam after a fight. It's a relaxing place, no?"

"Yea it is." Luna watched as Ron studied the pebble in his hand before he chucked it into the water.

"Throwing stuff is usually works too." Ron said as he picked up another pebble and handed it to her. "How about you have a go?"

Luna studied the grey pebble in her hand, trying her best to imagine the thing she hated most in the world. Suddenly, an image of Sterling popped in her mind. She grinned as she clenched the stone and looked up at the lake. She pulled her arm back and took all of her frustration out in that tiny pebble and hurled it across the lake. Luna and Ron watched it soar through the air. The squid in the lake raised its head above the water just in time to be smacked in the eye with Luna's pebble. A noise that resembled someone gurgling erupted from the squid as flung it's tentacles in every direction.

"Run" Ron said as he and Luna sprinted back up towards the school while other students were running down to see what the commotion was about. "You have one hell of an arm there. You'd be a good Chaser."

"You think so? Maybe I'll look into that next year." Luna looked around at all the other students making their way down to the lake. "Thanks for helping me sort through my thoughts."

"Anytime, just find me if you need me." Ron and Luna made their way to their separate tables in the dining hall. Luna walked up to where Constantine was eating and sat down.

"Hey." Constantine said as she swallowed her mouthful of mashed potatoes. "Seems like we haven't talked in forever."

"I know!" Luna replied as she began filling her plate with corned beef and hash. "I guess it's because whenever one has free time, the other is busy. Which reminds me, you never told me much about that mystery date."

Constantine shot Luna a look while she drank some of her pumpkin juice. "There's not that much to say."

"Now come on, you were freaking over it before and fawning over the notes he would leave you. You just don't suddenly say there wasn't anything."

Constantine looked around, making sure that no one was listening, before she leaned in and whispered, "I got to see who he is."

"Who is he?"

"I can't say."

"What?" Luna said a little loudly, causing some people near by to look at the two. "Why not?" Luna added in a softer voice.

"Because I promised I wouldn't tell anyone until we were both ready."

Luna nodded her head, knowing she wasn't going to be able to weasel anything out of her. One quality that Luna liked in Constantine was that she always kept her promises. "Is he good looking?"

A blush crept across Constantine's face as she nodded her head vigorously. "He's so romantic and charming." Her brown eyes sparkled while she talked about him.

"I'd say someone's smitten."

"You sound like my grandmother when you say that." Constantine said as she wrinkled her nose. "Please don't use it again."

"I promise" Luna said with a small laugh.

"So how are you and Harry?" Constantine asked.

"Pretty good I guess, it's only been three weeks."

"But you're dating him, I'd be a little more excited than that."

"I am, trust me I am. It's just…"

"What?" Constantine replied as she scooted over towards her. Luna looked up at Constantine, trying to figure out exactly what to say. She knew that what she was going to say was going to enter the awkward zone, but it would be better to get it off her chest.

"I just wish he would kiss me differently instead of a simple peck."

Constantine snorted as she took a sip of her pumpkin juice and looked at Luna comically. "He's afraid to kiss you?"

"I think he's just trying not to bring out anything bad with the state I'm already in with my coming of age ordeal."

Constantine smiled while she held in a laugh. "Well, maybe you could ask the other werewolves what they did to cope with their raging hormones."

Luna nodded her head and continued eating. Her thoughts quickly, and not surprisingly, turned to her pending weekend with the pack. Luna eyebrows furrowed as she concentrated on exactly what she was going to learn. Luna reviewed the proper greeting in her mind, noting not to rub her head against the females. Luna snorted at the thought of accidentally doing the mating greeting. It seemed comical to her, but she knew if it happened, she would feel incredibly awkward.

"_I wonder if anyone at Hogwarts is a werewolf"_ Luna thought. _"Surely I would be able to smell them, let alone they would be extremely attracted to me."_ Luna scanned the room to see if there was anything specific to werewolves, but it was near impossible. Luna sighed and fiddled with her food. Then she thought about sniffing the air, but when she started to sniff, many people around her looked at her as if her head was attached to her ass, making her stop quickly. Luna gave a frustrated sigh and continued playing with her food. She somehow became entranced with making little shapes with her carrots and peas. She was able to make different letters and an assortment of different shapes. She tried to concur stacking peas on top of the carrots. She smiled at the odd creation in front of her and was about to place the last pea on top with her fork when Constantine accidentally nudged her arm, causing her fork to flick the peas and carrots off the table and into an unsuspecting 3rd year. Luna immediately turned scarlet and turned to Constantine.

"Pretend like we're talking."

"Aren't we talking now?" Constantine said giving her a confused stare.

"Just make it look like we've been talking this whole entire time."

"What is going on?" Constantine questioned with a bewildered look. Over in the distance a little yelp could be heard as the 3rd year stood up and finally noticed the collection of veggies in her hair. Constantine began to look over in the direction where Luna's army of veggies attacked, but Luna moved so she was blocking the scene.

"Nothing interesting is going on, I promise." Luna said sweetly and innocently.

"Like hell there isn't. What did you do?" Constantine finally maneuvered around Luna and saw the poor girl picking out all the food out of her hair. Luna watched as Constantine's face change from confusion, to pure laughter. Constantine was one of the few people laughing, and soon most of the Ravenclaw table joined her. Eventually, Luna contributed a few laughs before everything died down and the girl finished cleaning everything out. "Why did you do it?" Constantine finally questioned.

"Didn't mean to." Luna responded truthfully. "You nudged be while I was in the middle of making an amazing pea/carrot fort, and my fork flicked everything off into her hair."

"Wow, who knew Luna liked to flick food at people." Harry said behind her. Luna twirled around and smiled at him.

"What can I say, food can be a great source of fun." Luna put the fork down and stood up next to Harry. "How was detention?"

"Surprisingly easy." Harry responded, a surprised tone evident in his voice. "I have, however, been told to take you down to see Snape, for an important meeting. Did you know about this?"

Luna cocked an eyebrow and shook her head. "I didn't know anything."

"Well, he was getting antsy in his office and demanded to get you. So for the sake of both of us, I think we should go on ahead and go down there."

"I'll see you later." Luna said to Constantine with a bit of a wave. Harry took a hold of Luna's small hand and gently led her towards the dark and cold dungeons.

Luna's heart started to beat harder in her chest as they made their way to Snape's office. If there was one teacher that Luna was afraid of, it was Snape. He joined in with the teasing that the other students would do to her on a daily basis. He even referred to her as "Loony" in class. She was never good at potions, which only fueled Snape's hatred towards her.

True, she thought the man was innately good at heart, but it didn't mean that she had to like him.

Harry gave Luna a reassuring squeeze to her hand, knowing how much Luna disliked him. Luna smiled weakly at him as they continued their descent. The two turned down one of the halls to finally come up to the dark wooden door that held within the most hated teacher at Hogwarts. Luna let go of Harry's hand and opened the door herself.

Luna was surprised to see the room empty, a sight she had never seen before. Usually Snape would be sitting at his desk while grading term papers, or peering evilly over the shoulder of student and mocking their potion. Luna glanced around and noticed the door that led to his office was slightly opened, and a dim light was pouring out into the usually dark room.

"Don't disturb me." Snap muttered once Harry closed the door. "I'll be done soon."

Luna sat down on top of one of the students desks, while Harry stood next to her, his hand resting on her shoulder. Luna fiddled with her fingers as they waited for Snape to finish whatever he was working on in his office. The door flew open suddenly as Snape swooped into the classroom, holding a cup of a vile smelling potion.

"Where are your manners, Lovegood? It's improper to sit upon tables and desks. Then again, I don't expect students to know proper etiquette."

Luna blushed deeply as she jumped off the table lightly. She cast her eyes down at her lake of manners and continued fiddling with her fingers. Luna eyed the potions suspiciously and prayed it wasn't for her.

"You may leave now, Potter." Snape said as he sat the potion down on his desk.

"I'd rather stay, _Professor_." Harry responded boldly, keeping his stance firm. Snape visibly stiffened as Harry stressed 'professor'. He turned around slowly, giving Harry a menacing glare.

"What Ms. Lovegood and I have to discuss has no matter of importance to you."

"When the other party involved happens to be my girlfriend, then it is important to me." Harry put a hand on Luna's hand as if to claim property. Luna paled when Harry revealed that they were dating, not wanting Snape to use something against her in class. Harry's bravery was always seen as a good quality, but Luna hated it at this moment.

A comical face flashed on Snape's face as he looked between the two teens. "It still is no matter to you, Potter, even if your intentions are not as noble as you think. Tell me, Potter," Snape glided up to the two and gave a prominent sneer. "Are you sure you're not thinking with your hormones when you decided to date a loup-garou puella?"

Luna felt like crying when Snape suggested that Harry was using her for sex. What really made Luna angry, however, was that Harry didn't respond. Luna turned to look at him to see what was wrong with him, but his face was an unreadable stone. His green eyes stared at Snape blankly, and his jaw was clenched tightly. Luna quickly turned back to Snape to see him smirking, obviously happy to get the reaction he desired. Just when Luna was about to reach for her wand and let her temper and raging hormones get the better of her, a knock sounded.

"Come in." Snape drawled, never taking his eyes off of Luna's twitching hand. The door creaked as the occupant on the other side opened it slowly. Luna took her eyes off of Snape and almost screamed in delight at who was there. Remus walked in with a smile on his face, even though he looked like he'd been beaten up.

"Remus!" Luna squealed as she ran over to Remus and gave him a bear hug. He chuckled slightly and returned the hug.

"How is everything going?" Remus questioned once Luna let go of him.

"Great! It's been so long since I've seen you." A small blush crept across Luna's cheeks as she remembered the last encounter they had. Luna noticed his tired eyes and his paleness, instantly becoming concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Tonight's the full moon." Snape said as she shoved the potion towards Remus. Remus wrinkled his nose as he gazed at the potion. He downed the potion in a large gulp, then coughed for a few minutes.

"Wolfsbane." Remus muttered as he cleaned his mouth with a napkin. "Nasty tasting, if you wanted to know." Remus looked around the room and finally noticed Harry. "Harry, my boy, how are you?"

Harry walked over to Remus and shook his hand firmly, "Everything's great." They both smiled at each other as Remus patted him on the back.

"I hate to interrupt reunion time," Snape snarled. "But we do have important matters on our hands that don't involve Potter."

"As I said before, Snape, I'm going to stay in here with Luna." Harry turned to Remus and said with a pleading voice. "Can't I stay?"

Remus gave him a puzzling look. "Well, the decision is up to Luna."

"Well then, I'll be staying." Harry responded as he smiled smugly at Snape as he stood next to Luna.

"Don't be quick to judge, Potter." Snape responded. "Let Ms. Lovegood voice her opinion."

Luna looked at the three men in the room. Snape stared her down with black beady eyes, daring her to let Harry stay. Harry, on the other hand, didn't seem worried at all with what Luna said. His eyes were urging her to go on ahead and say yes, his head leaning in waiting for her response. Finally, Remus didn't look at Luna. Instead, he concentrated on his own feet as if he didn't want to see a nasty argument.

'_Do I want him to listen to all of what might be said'_ Luna thought. _'True, Harry is my boyfriend, but does that mean he's entitled to listen to all of this information? What if it's a very personal topic that I'd rather not want him to listen to?'_ She looked over at Harry again and smiled to herself. _'He would be very supportive and comforting with whatever might be said. However, he might become too over-protective by the information.'_

Luna took a deep breath and braced herself. "Harry, I think it's best that you don't stay."

The look on Harry's face was a mixture of surprise and anger. He furrowed his eyebrows and his mouth opened slightly. Then, shutting his mouth tightly, he stormed out of Snape's room and slammed the door behind him. Luna felt her heart sink at the reaction, but had no time to go after him.

"We don't have that much time to talk, Luna. The moon will rise in 45 minutes." Remus said as he pulled out a chair for the two of them. Snape went over to his desk and observed the transaction there. "We are going to have to leave tomorrow morning, as soon as the sun rises."

"Won't you be exhausted?"

"Yes, I will. I thank you for caring for my well being, but in order to get there, we have to leave as soon as possible. We will be taking a train and arrive just outside the magical ward that the pack has created, and then I will walk with you as far as possible, then one of the beta females will escort you to the female housing area."

"Why won't you come with me?" Luna questioned. Behind her, Snape let out a loud snort. Luna turned around and looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Don't mind me," Snape said smugly. "I'll just go into my office for this next part."

Remus watched Snape walk into his office and close the door. Luna noticed the uncomfortable stance Remus was holding when he continued. "I'm not going with you simply because I don't want to see you naked."

"What?" Luna shrieked, her eyebrows disappearing into her hair line and staring at him wide eyed.

"These werewolves like to be in a natural state, which means no clothing. When I found this out, I asked if one of the beta females could escort you the housing area, and they kindly agreed."

"Do I need to bring anything?" Luna questioned, wishing to change the topic from her being naked.

"No, I wouldn't think so."

"When will we come back?"

"We'll be back next Tuesday. So about four days."

Luna nodded slowly. "Wait, where are you going to go for the full moon?"

"The Shrieking Shack. I should be heading there now, now that you mention it." Remus stood up and stretched. "I will send you an owl tomorrow morning on where to meet me and at what time. Oh and, what is going on between you and Harry?"

"Well, uhm, Harry and I are dating." Luna responded awkwardly. Remus raised his eyebrows, but had a small grin across his noticeably tired face.

"It's about time." Remus said as he walked out of the room.

Luna stayed in the room for a few seconds before she made her way out. Not many of the students were out in the halls at this point, most likely all of them hanging out in their houses' common rooms. Luna was busy making her way up to her room when she passed the entrance to the Ravenclaw house. She looked at the old door with the eagle staring out, waiting for another student to solve its riddle. Luna remembered that she is still allowed to enter the common room, and that she hadn't been in there the whole year. Feeling a sudden want to be in her house, Luna walked up to the door and waited for the eagle to recite its riddle. The eagle peered at Luna, before it opened its mouth and said in a majestic voice:

"They are very little creatures;

All of them have different features.

One of them in glass is set;

One of them you'll find in jet.

Another you may see in tin,

And a fourth is boxed within.

If the fifth you should pursue,

It can never fly from you.

What are they?"

Luna ran over the words over and over in her head, trying to decipher the difficult riddle. '_One of them in glass is set… It could possibly be talking about water there. One of them you'll find in jet? I have no idea. Another you may see in tin and a forth is boxed within. That could still be water. If the fifth you should pursue, it can never fly from you…wait. Maybe it is about where it's located. Glass, jet, tin, boxed…where is the fifth one located? It can never fly from you…maybe it is always with yourself? No, that can't be it. Glass, jet, tin, boxed…fly? Wait, I think I got it."_

"It's a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y. The vowels are found in those words." Luna answered proudly.

"Correct." The eagle responded, and the door opened. Luna walked in and felt as if she was home again, gazing up at the star painted ceiling and blue walls. The statue of Rowena Ravenclaw stood majestically in the room, the pearly color shining in the dimly lit room. Surprisingly, no one was relaxing in the common room.

"Everyone's probably studying." Luna whispered to herself with a small smile. "Only Ravenclaw students would go study in their free time."

She walked over towards the blue couch that, when she lived in the Ravenclaw dormitories, she would take the most peaceful naps. Sitting down on it gently, stretching out lazily like a cat. Luna laughed delicately at how odd it was for her to want to come back here. _'After all the years I spent wishing to escape this house and the people in it, I find myself wanting to come back.' _Luna thought.

The fire had been recently lit; Luna could tell by the tall flames that danced eagerly. Luna took in the smell of the burning wood and smiled to herself. The smell of the burning wood, for some reason, calmed her and made her feel sleepy. Thinking she would just lay down for a few minutes, Luna curled up into the couch and closed her eyes, drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

- - - - - - - -

"Luna, you need to wake up. There's an owl for you." A voice said off in the distance. Luna stirred in her sleep, then finally registered what the voice said. Luna's eyes shot opened to gaze upon Padma Patil standing over her, her black hair cascading off her shoulders.

"Sorry." Luna muttered as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Where's the owl?"

"Over there," Padma responded, pointing an elegant finger towards the statue. "What are you doing in here anyway? I haven't seen you all year."

"I honestly don't know. I just had a sudden urge to come in here."

"I wouldn't, not after all you had to go through." Padma paused, her dark brown eyes searching hers. "I'm sorry for all we did to you."

"Padma, you don't-"

"What we did to you was horrible." Padma continued, not giving Luna's plea to stop any notice. "No one deserves what we did. Even though I never actually participated in all the pranks, I didn't do anything to stop them. So for that, I'm sorry."

Luna felt suddenly awkward with the apology. Sure, it was good natured, but Luna never expected an apology from the people that picked on her. Finally, Luna smiled at Padma and said, "You sure aren't like Pavarti."

Padma snorted and rolled her eyes. "Even though we're twins, doesn't mean we have to act the same. I'm not an idiot who follows every action of Lavender Brown."

Luna walked over to the owl, untied the letter, and read the short message quickly.

_**Meet me near Hagrid's hut as soon as you get this message.**_

_**Remus**_

Luna folded the letter and placed it in her pocket. "Thanks, Padma." Luna said as she began to walk out of the room.

"You're welcome."

"Padma," Luna said as she paused by the door. "Could you tell Constantine that I had to leave to go see my sick grandmother?" Luna made sure to use the code that Remus told her to use previously.

"Sure, and I hope she feels better." Padma walked back up the stairs to her own dormitory as Luna quickly ran out of the Ravenclaw common room. Since her agility was much higher than the average person, thanks to her dear mother, Luna was able to move swiftly throughout the halls without being seen by Ms. Norris or any of the other patrolling prefects. Opening the main door slowly, Luna slipped into the small space and sprinted out on the cold damp grass. Luna could barely see the sun creeping up in the horizon, and no moon in sight.

'_I didn't think he meant literally after the moon disappeared."_ Luna thought as she began to see Hagrid's hut in the distance. Birds began waking up in the nests nearby, which gave a peaceful aura to the grounds of Hogwarts. Luna could feel the butterflies begin to form in her stomach with every step she took towards Hagrid's hut.

When Luna finally stopped at the hut, she could see Remus hobble his way over to Luna from the Whomping Willow. He looked worse than Luna had ever seen him. His face and arms held fresh and deep cuts, his color almost matched the paleness of the moon itself, and it seemed to take all of his strength to move a muscle. Luna decided to spare him a few steps as she made her way over to him, put one of his arms around her shoulders in support, and guided him over to a large boulder.

"Thanks." Remus croaked as he sat down. He reached for his wand and muttered a spell, causing all of his new cuts to heal and leave a light scar in its place. He pulled out a jug of water and drank it hungrily, some of it spilling onto his cheeks. "Sorry for my lack of manners." Remus replied as he cleaned his face.

"I don't care." Luna replied, watching every move he made with a worried glance. "We probably should wait until later today to leave. You need to rest."

"I've done this for many years, Luna. It takes much more than a few hours for me to get better." Remus said, holding a strong stare with her. "We need to get off Hogwarts' grounds, so we can leave from there."

Luna nodded her head, finally breaking their stare. She walked over and helped Remus stand up. His knees wobbled for a second, then he regained some amount of strength and began walking. Luna walked two steps behind him, making sure he kept his balance. He grunted with every step he took, obviously still having pain from his recent transformation. Luna watched him carefully, feeling an immense amount of pity. She knew the story of how Remus became a werewolf from when he would comfort her when she was younger and tell her how it wasn't so bad. Now being older and wiser, Luna could see it was taking its toll on Remus. She knew Remus never wanted to fully tell her the story. But after her mom died, Remus pulled her aside and said it was her mother's wish for her to fully understand that not all werewolves are willing.

He was seven when it happened, Luna remembered him telling her. He was outside, running around and being a normal little kid when it happened. He didn't reveal too much detail about the tragic event, just that he had no idea what the werewolf was. He said he went up to pet it, and that was when he was bit. She later found out from Sirius that he was almost eaten by the werewolf, since children are a delicacy to werewolves. It was a miracle that he survived, even if he never saw it that way.

He told her that the transformations in the beginning were insanely painful, noting that he had no idea how her mother was so calm whenever she transformed. He would attack himself instead of feeding on people, causing many of the scars that are scattered across his body. When he went to Hogwarts, he met her mom and didn't know what to do. He obviously could tell that she was a werewolf, and she could tell he was too. She walked up to him and asked if he was a werewolf, showing a boldness that he had never seen in any other eleven year old. She quickly told him how she did it voluntarily because it was a respected creature in Latvia. They had bonded throughout their years at Hogwarts and quickly became best friends. He was, after all, the one who introduced her mom to Sirius.

Luna now noticed that the tall gates of Hogwarts were right in front of them. Luna was so caught up in her thoughts of Remus that she took no notice to her surroundings. The frown on her face deepened as she began to become more nervous with the upcoming journey.

_'I never said goodbye to Harry," _She thought suddenly, immediately feeling worse. Harry was pissed at her, she was sure of that, and now he will be even more upset that she said something to Padma instead of Harry. She cursed herself under her breath, knowing there was going to be hell to pay when she got home. She wished she could turn around and tell him goodbye, but there wasn't any time to do it now. Sometimes she wished Harry didn't get easily angered, but it shows that he deeply cares about others. It's a blessing in disguise.

_'He also didn't even respond to Snape's comment about us.'_ Luna thought angrily. She furrowed her brows and clenched her jaw as she began to analyze his reaction. He had kept his face stone-like, which almost made it humanly impossible to know what he was thinking at that moment. Would he use me for sex? Luna thought she knew the answer when he wouldn't do more than kiss her. Had she been blind to some hidden agenda? Luna didn't think so, but Snape planted the seed of doubt in her mind.

Remus and Luna slipped through the gates quietly. Remus peered around them, then turned to Luna. "Alright," he said in a whisper. "We're going to have to do apparate together to another train station."

"Ok." Luna responded softly.

"I'm going to need you to hold on to me tightly in order for you to end up in one piece."

Luna nodded her head and walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around his abdomen, but she was too afraid to hold on too tightly. Remus looked down at her with a faint smile and pulled her closer.

"You're not going to hurt me, Luna. Unless you want to not have a leg, I suggest you hold on as tight as you can."

She held on with all of her might, now convinced that he wasn't hurting from her tightness. Remus held onto her strongly to make sure she stayed with him through the process. Suddenly, Luna felt as if she was being pulled slowly through a pea sized hole. The feeling was extremely uncomfortable, but she still continued to hold onto Remus. After what felt like many minutes, the sensation stopped and they landed on the ground softly. When she let go of Remus, she noticed they were standing in a vacant train station. Luna had never seen another train besides the Hogwarts Express, and the train in front of her was rather dull compared to the Hogwarts Express. Remus walked to the conductor and gave him tickets, and both of them walked on the train. Remus led her to their compartment.

"How long should this trip take?" Luna questioned once the train started moving and they were seated comfortably.

"Only a few hours." Remus replied as he laid on the seat. "If it doesn't bother you, I'm going to try to take a nap since I didn't get any sleep last night."

"I think I'll do the same." Luna replied with a yawn. She curled up into the seat and almost instantly fell asleep. The next thing she knew, Remus was shaking her gently and telling her that the train had stopped. When they walked off the train, Luna scanned her surroundings quickly. They had stopped on the outskirts of a dense forest, the trees seeming to be touching the sky. She could hear the distant sound of a creek nearby. Nothing seemed to be stirring in the forest, which left an odd aura around her. She looked up and noticed the sun was already shining brightly.

"Luna," Remus said behind her. "This is the very edge of the werewolf grounds. We're in Riga, Latvia. I will be staying in the Man-Tess Hotel in Riga. If you need to contact me, ask one of the alpha females for permission to write me. I will be back in two days."

"Am I just going to wait unprotected until the girl shows up?" Luna questioned.

"No. She's over there." Remus said as he pointed just over her shoulder. Luna turned around to see a girl about her own age hiding behind a tree. Her vibrant waist length red hair stood out in the green and brown forest. The crystal blue eyes stared at Luna and Remus curiously. Her nose was very slender and her high cheek bones made her face more elegant than it already was. She had her head cocked to the side like a curious puppy, but she never said a word. "It's my time to make my leave." Remus said in her ear. "She won't do anything until I leave."

"I'm nervous." Luna whispered, her voice wavering as meeting the werewolves was so close.

"You'll do great." Remus said as he gave her a strong hug. "Just remember to ask the alpha females to write me if you need me."

"Bye." Luna said as he began to walk away from Luna and got onto the train. Once the train left, Luna turned to the girl and quickly covered her eyes. The girl had emerged behind the tree completely naked. Luna only caught a glimpse of her silhouette, but it was enough to tell that the girl was naked. Luna cursed at herself for freaking out in such a state, knowing that the girl probably didn't own clothes and didn't understand Luna's discomfort. Mustering up all the composure she had, Luna lowered her hands and looked at the girl before her. The girl had the body to make any girl insanely jealous, and any boy to chase after her. Her skin was decorated with many freckles, and she was fairly muscular. Luna didn't stare for long since it was an awkward event.

"Hello." The girl said with a voice that instantly eased Luna's fears. "They call me Madara. What do they call you?"

"Luna Lovegood." Luna responded. She realized that Madara was giving her an odd look, as if she was expecting something. Luna quickly walked over to her and did the traditional greeting. That seemed to ease Madara and she gave a striking smile.

"I'm glad you decided to visit us." Madara said as she scratched her head. "Why do you wear those?"

Luna looked down at her school robes and struggled with a good explanation to clothing. "Where I live, people cover up their bodies around others."

"Why, when you can be free and let everyone see your natural beauty?" Madara twirled, her arms high in the air and her hair waving in the wind. "Natural beauty is something to treasure, not something to be _hidden_."

Luna smiled at the care free Madara. When she twirled, even though she was naked, it reminded Luna of herself...in an odd way.

"We shouldn't keep the alphas waiting. You need to take those off." Madara said pointing at her clothing. Luna gave a shy smile, and slowly started to take off her shoes and socks. Starting with simpler clothing, such as shoes and socks, would ease her into the expected nudity, or at least Luna thought. Once she was done with that, she started to untie her tie and unhooking her robe. She was only left with her skirt and her button up white t-shirt. She hesitantly started to unzip her skirt, her cheeks suddenly reddening from embarrassment.

Luna looked up at Madara and noticed she had turned her back to Luna in order to give her privacy. Madara, sensing someone looking at her, turned her head to Luna and smiled encouragingly. Luna gulped and started to pull her skirt off. Now figuring the faster she took it off, the better she'd feel, Luna quickly unbuttoned her shirt, bra, and underwear. Luna felt the coolness of the air touch her body, causing goose pimples to form everywhere. She didn't know what part was more important to cover, finally deciding on her chest. Crossing her arms quickly, she looked up at Madara and said, "Where do I put my clothes?"

Madara turned around, giving Luna a small smile, but not paying any attention to Luna's body. "Over by the tree there is a hidden compartment we sometimes use to give nonwerewolves some of our supplies. That should suffice for now."

Luna walked over to the tree and noticed a small handle on it. She pulled it and a small area appeared in the tree. She quickly placed her clothing in and closed it back up. Luna looked back at Madara and smiled meekly.

"Alright." Madara began. "Let's go."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

**I'm so sorry for taking forever to update. My life has been extremely crazy as of late. I promise to try to update much quicker than that. Please review for me! Nice constructive comments please... I don't like rude ones. :)**


	11. Natasha's Story

**A/N: This will be the LAST time I address the topic of Draco being head boy. Though I respect those opinions of people who think Draco is not qualified to be head boy, it is my story...thus my decision to designate what happens in the story. I am sorry to those of you that don't like the idea, but it's something I put in there for a reason, though the reason won't be revealed until much later in the story. I don't really like it when people disagree with the image that I'm going for, but I must go with it and take it with stride. Unless someone provokes me, I won't talk about the topic until the reason why is revealed. **

**On a happier note, thanks to everyone that reviewed!!**

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Luna and Madara ran through the forest at top speed. Luna tried her best to keep track of the turns they were taking, but everything began to look the same. The wolf personality of Luna enjoyed the feeling, awaking a new part of Luna that she hadn't felt before. She felt more energized, more alive. She moved swiftly on the forest ground, and the embarrassment she had about her nudity quickly disappeared. Something inside of her understood what Madara said about natural beauty. It _felt_ natural to Luna, even though she never cavorted around Hogwarts naked.

Madara smiled brightly at Luna as they took a small break near a creek. She leaned over and gulped some water, not bothering to cup the water in her hands. Instead, she shoved her face into the creek. Once she drank her thirst, she flipped her now wet hair back and looked at Luna happily. "I can tell you are going to fit in."

"How so?" Luna questioned, cupping some water and sipping it quickly.

"I could sense your wolf." She replied, giving a toothy smile. "You felt at peace, didn't you?"

Luna smiled and cocked an eyebrow. "Can all werewolves sense stuff like that?"

"Well, only around ones that you're close to. You didn't let your other side out when you first came here, so when it came out, I sensed a difference within you." Madara stretched out lazily, then started preening her hair.

"How many are in your pack?"

"About 40 males, 30 females, and about 14 children. It's a smaller pack that normal ones, but that's what alpha likes." Madara looked at her kindly and continued. "I am the daughter of the alpha." Madara held her chin higher, obviously proud of her status.

Luna smiled at Madara. "How old are you?"

"I have twenty years."

"I'm only 16." Luna replied.

Madara cocked an eyebrow, her eyes giving away her amazement. "I would have thought you were my age, by the way you have developed." She tilted her head to indicate her body. Luna looked at her hands, not knowing to accept the compliment or not. Luckily, she didn't have to.

"We need to move now," Madara said as she stood up. "They're waiting."

Luna and Madara moved more swiftly through the woods, Madara's urgency spreading to Luna. Luna's butterflies threatened to erupt in her stomach, but she was able to hold them at bay. Luna could tell that they had been running for a long time, since the sun was now directly above them. They jumped over a rotten log easily, landing softly on the mossy ground. Madara held up a hand to Luna, telling her silently to slow down. They walked slowly through the next few minutes, Luna finally noticing that bird finally occupied the forest. She reminded herself that there was a magical barrier around the land, probably causing no one to hear anything within its walls.

Luna looked over at Madara and finally observed her. She was tall for a woman, a few inches taller than Luna. Then again, everyone was significantly taller than Luna. Looking at Madara's profile somehow reminded Luna of a wolf, her eyes alert to everything and her facial bones that were as sharp as a knife. Her crystal eyes seemed to be a pool of water that anyone would want to stay in forever. She had so many freckles that it was hard to see her natural skin color. She had a smaller chest that suited her long body. Her hips were relatively small for a girl, but it didn't take away from her beauty.

"We're here." Madara said as she took a side-glance at Luna. "What do you think?"

Luna's breath caught in her throat as she gazed upon the werewolf pack's shelter. Clusters of caves lined up near each other. The area in the middle held a huge fire pit, along with numerous logs and stumps for a seating area. Luna followed Madara farther into the area. She could faintly see different patterns of scratches on entrance to each cave. Luna glimpsed into one cave to see a pile of raw meat stacked tightly together. Luna almost gagged at the stench that flooded her nose, but was able to refrain it. They finally arrived to one of the largest caves that had a scratched wolf with a large 'AFM' underneath it. Luna didn't have time to study it closely, for Madara moved quickly inside. Luna followed suit, her eyes adjusting to the sudden darkness.

Luna gasped again when she gazed upon the shockingly beautiful room. Nothing in the room came from modern wizarding world. Instead, all of it was made from wood and other natural elements. It was majestic in it's own right, nothing like Luna had ever seen. A long table made of marble stood in the middle of the room, intricate carvings decorating it beautifully. Furs from different animals were laying on the opposite side of the cave, Luna figuring it was the sleeping quarters. On the other side, a wooden desk covered with papers and books. She finally noticed the woman occupying the desk as she wrote fiercely. The woman had a few grays sprinkled in her dark brown hair. Her blue eyes stared at the paper in front of her intensely, not paying Luna or Madara any attention.

Madara cleared her throat, making the woman jump slightly. She looked up at the two curiously with skeptical eyes. Luna's eyes widened as the woman's fierce beauty hit her like a ton of bricks. She had very sharp facial bones, much sharper than Madara had. Her extremely toned body stood up slowly from the desk. The almost clear eyes shot through Luna, causing her to shiver. Finally the woman smiled at the two young women in front of her.

"Luna, I'd like you to meet the alpha female and my mom, Jelena Fruma."

Jelena smiled happily at Luna and gave her the traditional werewolf greeting. Her face emitted happiness as she gazed upon Luna's face. "I'm pleased to finally meet you after all these years."

Luna returned the greeting quickly. "It's nice to meet you too."

"I see you've adjusted to you attire." She noted, glancing at Luna quickly. "I'm sorry to ask you to go in such attire that is not natural for you, but in order to understand what you are to be taught, you must follow our ways."

"I understand."

"You will stay with Madara and I. I'm not about to through you with the betas that you haven't met yet." Jelena gave a comforting smile as she continued. "Don't worry about the males. They are out hunting."

"You keep a large amount of meat here." Luna commented as the three girls made their way over to the table in the center of the cave.

Jelena and Madara shared a humorous glance, before Madara explained. "The meat is to entice females to _mate_, Luna. It's our mating season." Luna blushed madly at her ignorance, and Madara giggled at her. They sat down smoothly and sat in a small silence.

"Wait a second," Luna said, realization dawning on her. "You were the one that wrote that book for female werewolves."

Jelena seemed to glow when Luna mentioned her book. "I'm glad you read it." She got up swiftly and went to the back of the cave. She returned with a large bowl of assorted fruit, placing it in front of Luna. Luna quickly grabbed a few grapes and started plopping them into her mouth hungrily. "Now, I know this must be a sensitive and most likely awkward subject, but I need to know about all the things that have been happening lately."

Luna obliged, telling everything that has happened to her due to her going into heat. She told her about her encounter with Fred at the beginning of summer, all the way to the moment in the Muggle Studies room just the day before. Jelena raised her eyebrows when Luna quickly explained the situation with Remus the one night he tried to help her with the mating greeting, but kept her face neutral throughout the rest. Madara made little gasps and nodded her head when Luna would explain the arguments she would have with her wolf personality. Once she was done explaining, Jelena stared at nothing in particular, her face telling everyone that she was deep in thought.

Finally, Jelena looked at Luna and said, "I believe that your hormones have been released too early." Jelena stopped and studied Luna, waiting for her to respond. When Luna didn't make a sound, Jelena continued. "Usually when a woman goes into heat, it's a subtle urge to mate, not an overpowering one. Even when it is the first mating ceremony, nothing to that extent happens. Did you ever go through such things, Madara?"

"Never." Madara replied. "Though I could identify with some of the problems, but nothing to the extent of it threatening me."

All three stopped talking and sat in the silence, Madara and Jelena looking at Luna with concern. The news seemed to strike a cord with Luna. She thought that this was normal for werewolves to behave in such a way. She also thought that for once she just might fit in with the pack, having a common ground on the heat. She once again felt like an outsider. _'Odd how things can change so quickly,'_ Luna thought angrily. _'Now I risk a greater chance of someone taking advantage of me.'_

"From what I could tell," Jelena finally said, breaking the silence. "The hormones released around the time your friends came over, specifically near the encounter with that Fred boy."

Luna nodded her head slowly in agreement. "I had just hoped that what I'm going through is a normal occurrence."

"It isn't that different, Luna." Madara explained. "It is just at a more heightened level."

"Some girls can barely tell the difference between their first time in heat and what is normal. Others have an extremely difficult time. You are somewhat on the extreme side, but not the worst I've heard." Jelena said.

Madara snorted as Jelena and her shared a mischievous smile. "What was the worst case?" Luna asked curiously.

"Her name is Sonya, a beta the same age as Madara." Jelena began to explain. "She had a very hard time dealing with the first heat."

Madara openly laughed as she added. "She couldn't talk to someone without yelling at them for no apparent reason."

"She did experience very severe mood swings. The worst part, was when she was ready to mate with any of the guys." Madara furrowed her eyebrows in anger as she crossed her arms tightly. "She did try to steal Madara's chosen mate at the time, always flirting with him and suggesting what they could do. In the end, however, she had her first mating ceremony with someone else."

"How did she cope?" Luna asked, obviously intrigued with poor Sonya's story.

"She occupied herself with other activities that would keep her heat at bay, but you will learn about that subject later." Jelena stood up, with Madara following immediately. "For now, you must meet the rest of the pack."

Luna stood up awkwardly and followed Jelena and Madara a few steps behind. As they walked out of the cave, they made their way over to the fire pit she passed before. Jelena cleared her throat softly before a loud growl erupted from her. As soon as she stopped, women and children of different ages slowly emerged from the caves surrounding the fire pit. Luna felt herself flushing as all eyes were on her when everyone passed her. Madara nudged her softly and gave her a bright smile. Luna returned it half-heartedly and continued to watch everyone make their way to their seats. Jelena went up to the largest log and looked out to the rest of her pack, everyone immediately going silent. Some kept stealing a glance at Luna, but most tried their best to give their alpha female their utmost attention.

"Good afternoon." Jelena said powerfully. Everyone returned the greeting with a smile on their faces. "As you know, our males have gone on the special hunt to bring meat to impress females that need the first mating ceremony." The few boys that were there gagged when Jelena said 'mate,' obviously not having any interest in girls yet. "We have three females preparing for their first mating ceremony. They are Jade Harris, Monica Stanisic, and Natasha Meineke."

Three girls stood up from the group as everyone clapped. Luna figured that they were close to her age. Each girl looked completely different from the other. One girl, the closet to Luna, had dark brown skin with very short black hair. Her heart shaped face and chocolate eyes made her seem warm and kind. Another girl looked much like Hermione, her curly brown hair and slightly tan skin matching Hermione exactly. The last girl looked and felt like what everyone imagines an ice queen would look like. Her black hair stuck out against her pale skin, and her piercing violet blue eyes felt cold and unwelcoming. She turned to Luna and gave her a hard stare before turning to everyone else. Luna felt taken aback, but quickly ignored it as Jelena continued to talk.

"Hopefully they shall find their true mate. I am sure you all have noticed that we have another woman in our presence." Jelena motioned with her hand for Luna to stand next to her. Luna walked slowly towards her and faced the crowd as they stared at her curiously. "This is Luna Lovegood, the daughter of Tahlia Henderson." The older females gasped and stared at Luna eagerly at the mention of Luna's mother. "As we know, Tahlia married a man that was not a werewolf, which makes Luna here a loup garrou puella. Sadly, Tahlia died before she was able to completely inform Luna on who she is. Luna has not learned everything about female werewolves nor the first mating ceremony. We have been asked by one of Tahlia's close friends to be able to teach her what we know about the first mating ceremony and our secrets. She will only be with us for a few days, so every minute counts."

Jelena put an arm around Luna's shoulder in comfort, and continued. "I do ask that we don't overwhelm Luna with information. I know that you are excited to meet her, but we must remember she does not live with werewolves. She is a witch, thus meaning she lives in the wizarding world and not with a pack. This is very unusual for her, so please do not bombard her with information. I would, however, want the three female in preparation to meet me up here after the meeting is dismissed. We will have an Elder Females meeting tonight at dusk, please do not forget. On that note, we are dismissed."

Chaos ensued, girls coming up to them in different directions. Soon enough the three girls that Jelena mentioned before, Madara, and another girl Luna hadn't seen before stood before her and Jelena. Jelena patted Luna on the back before she turned and went over to another group of women. Madara winked at Luna before she started the introductions. "This here is Jade."

The Hermione look alike smiled brightly and greeted Luna with the traditional greeting. "It's great to have you." She said with a somewhat raspy alto voice, which pleasantly surprised Luna.

"Over there is Monica."

The dark girl gave an excited wave and said with a full Scottish accent. "Nice to meet you."

"Here is Natasha, she just moved here a few months ago."

Natasha gave Luna a closed smile as she stuck her hand out and shook Luna's hand firmly, but never said a word. Luna smiled back, shocked that a girl with such cold features would even give any sign of kindness. She decided she would just go with whatever kind of kindness she would get.

"And finally, this is one of my good friends Sonya." Madara said putting an arm around Sonya's caramel colored waist. Sonya smiled brightly at her and ran her hands through her brown hair.

"It's great to meet you guys." Luna finally said, looking at each girl in the eye. "I'm glad you guys let me stay here."

"It's no sweat at all." Sonya said cheerfully as all the girls started walking towards one of the caves. "We're not about to kick out Tahlia's daughter out of her own pack now are we?"

"This was my mom's pack?" Luna questioned, pausing for a second while the others walked ahead of her. "No one ever told me that."

Sonya turned around and looked at Luna with a cocked eyebrow. "Our pack is completely secluded from all the other packs. Of course no one would mention it, because they didn't know themselves. Come on, we've got so much to tell you." Sonya hooked arms with Luna and gently pulled her into the cave everyone else walked into.

This cave was completely different from the Jelena's quarters. The floor was completely lined with soft furs, except for a small drinking pool in the center. Different carvings were found on the stonewalls, depicting different stages of werewolf transformation. Everyone sat around the drinking pool, stretching and relaxing on the furs. Madara patted the furs near her and motioned Luna to sit. Natasha sat on Luna's left, much to her dismay. Sonya took the other seat next to Madara, while Monica and jade sat in front of Luna.

Luna looked up through the big sky light at the top of the cave and asked, "What is this room for?"

"Mating ceremony." Monica replied easily. "Seemed fitting since we'll be filling you in on all of this stuff."

"What all do you know about the ceremony?" Jade asked. All girls looked at her encouragingly, waiting for her to reply.

"Well," Luna began. "I know that I get to choose the date and that I get to choose with whom I would want to be with. I learned the initiation move, but other than that... I know nothing else."

"It's not too bad, really." Madara said comfortingly. "During the special hunting, the men will try to bring the most meat to who they'd like to mate with. The girl has every right to deny the man, even if he has the most meat. I'm sure you won't go through that exact procedure since you live in the wizarding world. You'll probably just choose someone that you like enough."

"Once that happens," Jade continued for Madara. "The couple will go into a mating cave much like this one." She stretched her arms wide to emphasize the room they were in. "We have about seven of these caves right now. Most of them are secluded, but this one is for the alpha children."

"My brother and I have used this room for when we went through our first mating ceremony." Madara glanced around the room and smiled. "My parents don't have any more children, so this will be used for my kids and my brothers kids."

"Who's your mate?" Luna asked.

"Hector." She replied instantly. "We've been mates for 3 years now." A wide smile played across her face and her eyes sparkled with obvious love. All of the girls smiled at Madara and sat in a comfortable silence.

"The couple then do the mating initiation, and they mate for a period of 3 days." Monica finally said.

"Three days! Good God." Luna exclaimed. She couldn't even imagine how sore the poor girl would be. Then she remembered that she would have to go through the same thing. Luna groaned softly, imagining herself walking with her legs wide apart at Hogwarts, cursing the guy who did this to her. Sensing her unease, Natasha leaned over and put a comforting hand on Luna's shoulder. A wave of warmth rushed through Luna, instantly easing her nerves. Luna turned around and stared at her oddly, confused about the sudden comfort she was receiving from her.

"There is a pain reducing potion that you can take if it hurts a lot." She said with an American accent.

The last thing Luna was expecting was an American to be in Latvia, let alone an American werewolf. She had never met an American before, and she was completely awestruck. Luna continued to stare at Natasha for a few more seconds before she stated the obvious, "You're American."

Natasha smiled slightly and nodded her head. "A New Yorker to be exact."

"How come you came to Latvia?" Luna questioned. Instantly the group visibly tensed. She wished she could take back her question, for it obviously upset the whole group. Luna watched Natasha's eyes become colder, if that was even possible.

"My family and I took a vacation to England to celebrate my high school graduation. We were camping out in the woods when we were attacked by a pack of werewolves. I was bitten, and... my parents were eaten. I had never heard of Fenrir Greyback until I was bitten by him. He wanted to have me as a mate, but I refused him. He tried to rape me many times, which I was able to make him pissed at me and beat me instead." She closed her eyes for a second, collecting herself, and continued. "After a few weeks of torture, I escaped and went back to America."

A long pause followed, Luna really regretting her question now. Natasha looked down at her hands and wrung them tightly. "I was going to go to school to be a Healer this fall, but I was expelled because I became a werewolf. I understand why they did it, it would have been hard for me to get a job. It still wasn't easy though. Since I became an orphan, I tried to find a werewolf community far from America to hopefully find somewhere where I'd be accepted. Jelena found me begging for food and let me join the pack."

The mood in the room immediately changed. Everyone had their eyes cast down. One by one, each girl went up to Natasha and nuzzled her, much like dogs do, to comfort her. Somewhere deep down, Luna found the courage to scoot over to the girl and nuzzle her softly. Natasha responded to her touch, nuzzling her in comfort. Luna pulled away after she felt that Natasha felt better.

"I think the worst part of it was that I no longer look the same." Natasha said with a crooked smile.

"What do you mean?" Luna asked dumbly.

"If you aren't born a werewolf, but then bitten by one later in life, your features change to match that of the werewolf's heritage. Since Fenrir has very cold features and a mean demeanor, Natasha gained those traits. Her body changed in the traditional ways to resemble a typical werewolf, but she has some characteristics of Fenrir's pack." Madara explained.

"Doesn't make her any less beautiful though." Monica said as she smiled happily and Natasha, who returned a small smile.

"Let's get off the topic of me though," Natasha said, reassuring the group she was fine. "Luna here still needs to learn about us. Is there anything specific you want to know?"

"Do you only have one mate?" Luna asked the question that had been on her mind for some time.

The girls chuckled a bit, until Jade decided to speak up. "That's a common misconception. You won't die if your mate dies or any of that rubbish. Truth be told, people usually have many mates."

"I know we're supposed to be on the topic of the mating ceremony," Luna started, getting the attention of all the girls. "But I was wondering what are the common physical traits of werewolves are."

"They're different for males and females." Sonya said. "Males are very muscular and very attractive. In the wizarding world, he probably would have been a ladies man. Though, some can be secluded and shy, but still give off an attractive demeanor. They are also very protective of a female, and usually stop at nothing to get one. Females also are very attractive, but not muscular. We can run at great speeds without getting tired. They usually aren't tall, though Madara over hear is an exception."

Madara playfully hit Sonya's arm, which earned a playful glare from Sonya. "All werewolves resemble wolves in some way. Most have the strong and sharp facial bones and bright eyes. I'm sure you've noticed that our eyes will become a bright color when our inner wolf is coming out, or when you're ready to mate."

"Yea, mine turn silver." Luna responded.

"They have been silver since we arrived, Luna." Madara commented. "I told you about me sensing your inner wolf coming out. That is one of the ways I could tell."

Luna blushed at her embarrassment, but no one seemed to notice. "I can't wait until the men return." Jade squealed excitedly. "I just wish Dominic was finding another mate."

The girls laughed loudly as Luna sat in confusion. Finally, Madara stopped laughing and said, "I don't think my brother is going to be looking for another mate anytime soon. He's just leading the other men on the hunt."

"But he's so cute." Monica said dreamily. "And smart."

"Keep wishing ladies, because it's not going to be this year." Sonya said.

"I'm just glad we're finally doing this." Natasha replied. "I don't know how much more of this heat I can take."

"How did you guys cope? I mean, I'm having a hard time with my boyfriend..." Immediately all the girls began bombarding her with questions on who her boyfriend is. She patiently waited for them to quiet down, and then revealed she was dating Harry Potter. Only Natasha knew the name. Her eyes became huge and her mouth opened slightly.

"THE Harry Potter?" Natasha asked. She squealed and gave Luna a light shove. "You lucky dog! You wouldn't believe how gorgeous he is, guys. He is the epitome of sex."

"He must be something to make Natasha say that... she doesn't even think Dominic is that good looking." Madara said with a look of approval. "Would you like to have him be in your mating ceremony?"

Luna should have seen this question coming, but it still shocked her nonetheless. Honestly, she had not thought about who she'd want to have with her. Sure, she would love to be with Harry... but the last time she saw him he was very angry with her. She was sure that Harry would be angry with her because she didn't say goodbye to him. She sighed in frustration at how unsure she was at the question.

"Don't answer that. It's not our business to know." Sonya said, pausing Luna's thoughts. "Continue what you were saying before."

Luna thanked Sonya silently before she said, "My boyfriend and I are having a hard time dealing with wanting to do more than kissing."

"Wait," Madara interrupted. "You mean to tell me all you two have done is kiss?" Luna nodded her head slowly, as the other girls stared at her with wide eyes. "Holy shit, Luna! How in the world are you surviving!"

Luna furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "But I was told I couldn't do anything with guys until the mating ceremony."

"No, no, no, no!" Monica exclaimed. "You can't have _sex_ with him. You can do everything else."

"Good think you came to us, or you would have exploded." Jade said. "You can give head and he can finger you."

Luna's cheeks went maroon at Jade's comment. Luna hid her face in her hands, obviously not used to people's frankness of sexual activities. The girls chuckled slightly at her discomfort, but Natasha tapped on her shoulder. Luna looked up at her, with traces of maroon on her cheeks.

"I was somewhat freaked out when I heard the news, but you get used to it quickly. Honestly, I would really consider doing those things with him. It will help you out in the long run."

"Plus, werewolves are very good at sex and everything that comes with it. Sex is an animalistic act, which makes it easier for werewolves to connect with since we already are connected with our wolf self." Madara explained. "Everything will come naturally to you, and that Harry boy with be jello in your hands."

"Hopefully he'll be stiff in your hands." Sonya joked, adding a little wink in Luna's direction. Luna let out a barking laugh, falling backwards onto the soft floor.

"There's something else we should mention to you." Jade brought up, scooting somewhat closer to her. Luna sat up slowly and looked at Jade evenly in the eye. "All female werewolves have a sister. Not biological sister, mind you, but a blood sister."

"That's right. I completely forgot about that." Madara said. "A sister is basically the girl you bond with the most. An obvious connection is recognized between the two girls. You have no control over the connection, for it is set by fate. Once the two girls have recognized it, the bond becomes stronger and they eventually become life long sisters."

"Or in other words, the best friend you never had that will always be with you." Sonya said, putting an arm around Madara. "She's my sister." Both smiled happily. "Hell, after all we went through, I'm surprised we even became sisters."

"Yea, after you tried stealing my man." Madara muttered, but gave a small smile anyway. "Oh well, what's past is past."

"How did you two know you were sisters?" Luna asked.

"It's something you can't really describe. It's... you just know. I would have never thought Sonya would be my sister, but now I'm glad she is. I can tell her everything. There are no secrets between us."

_"I wonder if Constantine is my sister..."_ Luna thought curiously.

"I know, there's no way I can keep a secret from her. Trust me, I've tried. I tried to hide the fact that I tempted Hector to be with me, but it flew out of my mouth the next time I saw her. I can't even keep the silly things away from her." Sonya said as she nudged Madara jokingly.

_"That rules Constantine out."_ Luna thought sadly. _"I never told her about what I did with Remus nor did she dell me about who her secret admirer is."_

"I tried for so long to figure out who my sister was, and I was completely wrong." Madara said, looking directly at Luna as if she knew what Luna was trying to do. "I didn't realize who it was until after I had my first mating ceremony, but the signs had been there for months."

"I can't wait for my sister either." Jade said excitedly. "So much will be happening soon."

"I know." Monica said as she and Jade squealed. Everyone looked at the two as they laughed happily to themselves, not giving the other girls much thoughts.

"They're most likely sisters." Natasha whispered in Luna's ear. "I figured that out months ago."

"Do you think I'll have a sister, even though I'm not full blown werewolf?" Luna whispered back, keeping an eye on the two girls.

Natasha looked back at her and said, "I would think so. From what I've heard, anyone with werewolf blood in them will still have a sister."

"Luna, we got to go back to our quarters for dinner and sleep." Madara said, standing up and stretching lazily.

"It was great meeting all of you." Luna said as she stood up and waved goodbye to all the girls.

"You too Natasha." Madara called as they began to walk out of the cave. Madara leaned over to Luna and said quickly "My family adopted her since she has no family anymore. She sleeps with us." The three walked side by side quietly, their steps barely making a sound on the grass. Once they got to the cave, Jelena walked out and hugged the girls.

"Did you learn a lot?" Jelena asked Luna as they walked over to the grand table.

"Tons." Luna responded. "I learned vital information for me to survive heat." Natasha gave a Cheshire grin towards Luna, and Luna winked at Natasha.

"That's good." Jelena said as she placed a cooked steak in front of Luna, and placed the fresh raw meat in front of the others. "I figured you liked your meat cooked." Jelena replied to Luna's glance at everyone else's plate.

"Thanks." Luna said as she quickly began eating. The meat tasted amazing to Luna. All the different flavors that were contained on that piece of steak made her taste buds very happy. All too soon the steak was devoured, along with everyone else's food.

"That was amazing meat." Luna commented while taking a gulp of water.

"It was just caught two days ago." Madara comments. "Hector got it for me."

"How thoughtful." Natasha replied.

"How is the bite holding up?" Jelena asked Natasha. Jelena walked over to Natasha and moved her blonde hair. On her shoulder was a gruesome bite that covered most of the skin there. Luna cringed at the sight of the bite. Jelena grabbed some herbs and rubbed them on the bite softly. Natasha hissed loudly and squeezed her eyes shut in pain.

"Shouldn't it have healed by now?" Luna questioned, staring at the bite in a look of disgust.

"Werewolf bites take much longer to heal when someone has been bitten for the first time." Natasha explained, opening her eyes slightly. "Since my body is still trying to reject the werewolf poison, it's taking longer to heal... even though the poison runs through my veins."

Luna frowned slightly at Natasha's predicament. Here was a girl that wanted to become a healer in America, and now she is forever shunned from society. It seemed so unfair to Luna, and made her hate Fenrir more for what he did. Sure, she didn't like him for what he did to Remus, but eating a girl's parents and then trying to rape the girl? That was disturbing on many accounts.

_"I wonder if she'll stay here forever."_ Luna randomly thought. For some reason, Luna wanted Natasha to try to go get a job as a healer... though it would still be hard. Natasha didn't seem like the pack type to Luna. But then again, Luna doesn't know anything about packs... so why should she bother about the life of Natasha?

She didn't have an answer for that. She just _cared_.

"It's getting late." Jelena said after she finished putting the herbs on Natasha's bite. "You should get some rest now."

In perfect timing, Luna yawned wildly. Madara chuckled softly at Luna and patted her head. "We have to make our rounds to the other caves and make sure everyone is alright. We should be back later on."

With that, Jelena and Madara walked out of the cave, waving as they did so.

Natasha and Luna sat in silence at the table. It was the first time she had been alone with anyone else besides Madara and Jelena. Natasha stood up and stretched smoothly and gave Luna a crooked smile. "So, what do you think of everything so far?"

"It's... kind of overwhelming." Luna said honestly. "But I think everything is so interesting!"

"Yea I felt that way too." Natasha picked up the leftovers and took them to the storage area. "In a way I'm glad I became a werewolf."

"Really?"

"For the most part. Obviously, I didn't want to see my parents be..." She paused, obvious what happened to her parents was very difficult for her to talk about. "Or have someone try to rape me and actually molest me on a regular basis, but now that I'm here I have come to terms with it."

"What did he do to you?" Luna asked with a wave of anger rising in her stomach.

Natasha looked at Luna quizzically for a second, and then said, "He would do everything to me. He didn't care how I felt, he just did it. I hadn't really done anything physically with a guy before that. He took a lot of my firsts from me, but luckily I still have my virginity in tact."

Luna's face visibly hardened in anger. She couldn't believe what this... _thing_ could do to anyone, let alone Natasha. She had complained about being what she was and how hard it was for her to accept the fact that she was half werewolf. Now her life seemed so insignificant that the tragedy of Natasha's live. He sexually and physically abused a girl that was probably half of his age and he ate her parents. Luna couldn't grasp why in God's name would someone put that girl through hell.

"It's going to be all right. Not all guys are like that." Luna told Natasha softly, but full with emotion.

Natasha turned around and looked with Luna, her eyes wide and curious. They staid like that for what seemed like hours, just staring at each other and having a silent understanding. Natasha walked over to the furs that were the sleeping quarters, and Luna followed. Once they laid down, Natasha finally spoke.

"I've done some stuff with muggles to see what the difference was." She looked over at Luna with a serious look on her face. "It was nothing compared to what werewolves can do. They were right when they said werewolves are better at that stuff."

"I've had something happen with a werewolf." Luna said, thinking of Remus. "We almost lost control."

"That's a problem I've seen happen a lot around here." Natasha rolled on her side so she was now facing Luna. "It happened to Jade a few weeks ago. Her and this boy were about to sleep with each other if I hadn't walked in my accident."

"Is it just a pure physical thing, or is there-"

"Love? I haven't been in love yet to tell you the difference. But from what I've experienced here, it's mainly physical. Madara and Hector are in love, and she said that their sex is much better than what it was when they first mated."

"I don't know if I want Harry be my first." Luna revealed.

"You two have only been dating for a month, correct? That's not enough time to decide if you would want someone to do that. Werewolves are quick to act on stuff like that, for them it is at first a pure physical thing to do. That's why everyone was shocked about what you hadn't done with Harry yet. I understand. I still have the rational side of me that thinks like a normal wizard." Natasha yawned softly and nuzzled more into the fur. "I think we should get some sleep now. I'm exhausted."

"Me too. Good night" Luna whispered, curling into the fur and falling asleep instantly.

Luna was in the middle of an odd dream involving singing and dancing pears when she began registering a commotion being made by the cave. Luna began to stir in her sleep as the hushed voices by the cave began to be clearer. Finally giving up on sleeping, Luna sat up and stretched every limp in her body. While moistening her lips, Luna rubbed the crusty stuff from her eyes and blinked slowly, letting her eyes adjust to the light. At the opening of the cave, Luna could see people talking quickly and softly to each other. It was evident something was wrong, and the curious part of Luna wanted to know what was going on. She stood up quickly and began walking towards the group. The first person she recognized was Jelena, but the other two people were in a shadow with their backs to Luna.

Luna walked right up to Jelena and smiled brightly at her. Jelena looked embarrassed from the moment Luna walked up to her, which obviously made Luna really confused. "What's wrong, Jelena?" Luna asked innocently.

Someone behind her cleared their throat, which caused Luna to turn around. All the color from her body instantly drained as she looked at Professor Snape and Remus, and she was still naked. Snape stared at her in a disgusted manner for a few seconds before staring directly up at the sky to avoid her. Remus tried his best to act as if nothing was wrong, but only made the situation worse by him blushing madly. Luna moved her arms in front of her in attempt to cover herself up, but there was so much she didn't want them to see that she had a hard time achieving full coverage. Remus took of his jacket and put it on Luna's shoulders, and she hurriedly buttoned every button. Remus shoved Snape harshly, causing him to look back down and give Luna an even more disgusted look.

"Next time, Miss Lovegood, would you please not grace us with your nakedness." He said venomously.

Luna's cheeks colored slightly, but she tried her best to act natural. "Why are you two here?"

"The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was murdered." Remus said quickly. "We believe by a Death Eater, but it will be recorded as a heart attack."

"Dumbledore has asked us to return you safely to Hogwarts and to pick up the new teacher." Snape told Luna as if she was a toddler and didn't understand.

Luna didn't really care for the old bloke during the year. Hell, she didn't even know his name. Didn't mean she didn't feel bad for his death. Luna frowned slightly and cast her eyes to the floor. It then hit Luna that she was going to have to leave earlier than expected.

"I'm sorry our time has been cut short." Jelena said with a sad smile. "You are always welcome to contact any of us if you have any questions, and you're welcome to stay for a few nights on breaks."

"Thank you." Luna said as she gave Jelena a hug. "Where's Madara?"

"She's getting Dominic. Why don't you go say goodbye to Natasha in the meantime."

Luna walked quickly back into the cave and went over to Natasha's sleeping form. Luna shook her slightly, and she began waking up slowly.

"What's going on?" Natasha asked tiredly.

"One of my teachers at school has been murdered and I have to go back to school." Luna explained hurriedly.

"Oh." Natasha said sadly. "Have fun."

"Can I write you?" Luna asked out of nowhere. "I'd like to keep in touch and all that."

Natasha smiled happily and nodded her head. "I'd like that a lot." Natasha got up and wrapped her arms around Luna's neck tightly, and Luna returned the hug with just as tightly.

"Make sure you tell me about the ceremony." Luna whispered in her ear just before they let go of each other.

"I will." Natasha said with the Cheshire grin on her face. "Have a safe trip."

"Bye!" As Luna made her way back to Snape and Remus, two more people were standing with them. Madara and Jelena were hugging the man that was with them tightly. Luna looked over at Remus, and he gave a half smile when she walked up to them.

"He's going to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Remus whispered to her as they watched the goodbyes being exchanged. Jelena and Madara pulled away from the young man slowly and then noticed Luna's presence.

"Luna," Madara said. "I'd like you to meet my brother Dominic."

If Luna thought any teacher was attractive in the past, she now had been corrected. Dominic's presence screamed Greek god. Luna couldn't help but stare at his muscles and his tanned skin. He was taller than his sister, probably standing at six feet. His brown curly hair gave him a boyish charm, and his amber eyes sparkled with a hidden mischief. He had perfectly straight white teeth, and his smile would make any girl instantly melt. He was wearing navy blue robes, which disappointed Luna slightly.

"It's nice to meet you, Luna Lovegood." Dominic said, giving her the traditional greeting. His voice was slightly raspy, but was the most amazing thing Luna had ever heard.

"Nice to meet you too." Luna replied. She could feel the wolf inside her jumping up and down in glee, wanting to fuck him immediately. Luna was able to control the animalistic thoughts that were running through her head, but she couldn't control herself of thinking about him.

_"This is going to be fun."_ The wolf purred.

- - - - - - - - - -

**So...what did you guys think? I completely changed half of this chapter because I felt like things needed to become interesting/complicated. PLEASE REVIEW!!**


	12. Weep Not For the Past

Luna walked over to the tree that she had left her clothes in the day before and picked them up hurriedly, still embarrassed of her nakedness in front of a man she hated and a man she thought more as a brother. Dominic and Remus stood a few feet from Snape, talking to each other. Snape looked like he was about to vomit at any moment, Luna concluding that it was because he saw one of his students stark naked. _"The feeling is mutual, Snape."_ Luna thought bitterly in her mind as she stared at him angrily. She stood up with her clothes and wand in hand and cleared her throat softly.

"Can you guys turn around so I can change?" Luna asked softly. Snape was the first one to turn around, maybe a little too quickly. Luna rolled her eyes at him. Remus and Dominic turned the other direction, giving Luna privacy to change. Putting the clothes back on felt odd to Luna. Not in a bad way... but just odd. Figuring it was her just being used to being naked, Luna pushed the feeling aside and finished tying her Ravenclaw tie.

"I'm done." Luna told the three men standing before her. Dominic turned around a flashed a brilliant smile at her, making her stomach go into knots.

_"It's just the hormones."_ Luna told herself, taking a deep breath. _"This is a pure physical reaction."_

"We're going to apparate to Hogwarts." Remus explained to Luna. "I will take you with me, since you don't have your license yet." All Luna could really do was nod her head, since her wolf was trying to convince Luna to pounce on Dominic.

_"I've been starved of attention." _Her wolf voiced angrily in her head. _"He looks like a fine candidate to help me out."_

_"I've got Harry, and I'm not about to cheat on him to satisfy your needs." _Luna sternly said.

With two pops, Dominic and Snape disappeared from her sight, and she was only left with Remus. They both stood there for a second, neither really feeling like talking. Not that Luna didn't want to talk to Remus, she just was busy trying to keep herself at bay.

Remus made eye contact with Luna, which made her completely stop the battle in her head. For once, the wolf stopped and waited curiously for Remus to something. Remus took a shaky hand and ran it through his hair. Luna, only seeing Remus with shaky hands when Sirius died, became increasingly worried.

"I don't like this." Remus finally said. "I don't like that he's a werewolf without a current mate."

"I'm not going to try to-"

"It's not you that I'm completely worried about." Remus cut in, holding a hand up to stop Luna. "He is, after all, only 21. His hormones are not balanced right now either."

Luna frowned slightly, really not wanting to deal with a hormonal teacher that might try to mate with her.

"You're going to have to be careful around him." Remus explained, putting a hand on Luna's shoulder and moving his thumb softly in comfort. "It's not that I don't trust him or you, I don't trust the state both of you are in."

"Why are his hormones out of wack?"

"He doesn't have a mate, and you are fresh meat to his wolf side. He told me that he is going to protect you from that side of him for as long as he can take it, which hopefully will be till Christmas break where he can take out his urges on someone else."

Luna didn't like the sound of some guy using another girl out of urges, but the alternative didn't sound appealing to her.

"We better get going." Remus remembered quickly. He pulled Luna into a tight hug and before Luna knew it, she was outside the gates of Hogwarts.

If there was ever a time Luna was nervous about returning to Hogwarts, the nerves she was feeling now completely killed those previous nerves. Harry was so angry after she left, she wasn't sure how he would take her not telling him that she was leaving either. Snape and Dominic were already making their way up to the castle, not bothering to wait on them.

Sensing her unease, Remus squeezed her shoulders. "Everything will be all right."

Luna hugged him with all her might, treasuring the feeling of having him care for her in such a way. He returned the hug with the same emotions before he left her at the gate. Taking a deep breath, Luna began making her way up to the castle, her heart thumping louder with each step. No one was outside yet, for it was still early in the morning on a Sunday. Knowing all the students will be treasuring their day to sleep in, Luna wasn't worried about running into anyone just yet... including Harry.

She opened the main door, Luna instantly felt at home again, taking in the familiar sights and smells of the castle. Sure, the pack was a great experience and she felt at ease there, but there was nothing compared to the way she felt at Hogwarts. She waved to Nearly Headless Nick as she began her trek up the moving stairs to her room to get a few hours of sleep before she found her friends and Harry.

When she got to her room, the portrait smiled happily at Luna and waved enthusiastically. Luna chuckled at the little girl and waved back. The portrait swung open and Luna walked in quickly. Luna smiled as she found herself in her now familiar room. She jumped on her bed happily snuggled into the covers, missing the feel of the extremely soft bed. She closed her eyes and relished in the chance to sleep peacefully for a few hours.

About 2 hours later, Luna could hear her door open and close quickly. Luna shot up from her bed, pulled out her wand, and found herself pointing at nothing. She furrowed her brows in confusion, but still held her wand strongly in front of her. For a second, Luna thought she had imagined the door open and close, but slowly a figure began to emerge from a nifty invisibility cloak.

Harry stood in front of her with a bewildered look on his face, probably not expecting to see Luna there. Luna lowered her wand slowly, not sure what to say to him. She couldn't tell if he was still angry with her or if he had forgotten everything that had happened. She swallowed obviously and looked down to the floor in an ashamed manner, preparing herself for a possible yelling spree.

"You're back." Harry stated obviously, his voice sounding just as shocked as Luna felt right about now. Luna was at lost of words, and the only thing she could muster was a simple nod. Harry set his cloak down and took two steps towards Luna. She finally looked up into his eyes and smiled softly at him in hopes of diminishing any anger that she was unsure if he had. Harry's eyes had never looked brighter and happier than she had ever seen them. That was something Luna was certain she wasn't going to see right now. Harry wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"I thought you were angry at me." Luna said as she pulled away slightly to properly look at him.

Harry lowered his hands and shoved them into his pockets. "Honestly? I was when we were in Snape's room." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at Luna. "Ginny found me huffing and puffing in anger, and she quickly reminded me of what an ass I was being by slapping me across the face."

Luna laughed at the image of Ginny letting Harry have it. She wouldn't be surprised of Ginny looked exactly like her mother as she did it.

"I shouldn't have acted the way I did." Harry started again, clasping her hand with both of his. "I was just so pissed at Snape for saying what he said."

"Why didn't you tell him how you felt?"

Harry smiled a little bit and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I didn't want to talk about our possible sex life with a teacher. I don't know about you, but I find that highly mortifying." He stopped and lifted her chin to look up at him. "You know I'm not using you in such a way, right?"

"Now I do." Luna said, sighing in relief. "I think I let my moodiness get the better of me and I let Snape get to my head."

"I was afraid of that." Harry replied softly. They sat in silence for a few moments before Harry finally spoke up again. "Do you forgive me for being a hot headed asshole?" He gave his best puppy eyes and pouty lips, reminding Luna of a lost puppy.

"You're not an asshole." Luna said as she chuckled at the face Harry was pulling. "But I do forgive you."

Harry smiled and kissed her gently. Luna smiled against the kiss, but then had a sudden thought pop into her head.

"What in the hell were you doing sneaking into my room?"

Harry smiled mischievously at her and let go of her to go over to a bag that Luna hadn't noticed before. Harry flicked his wand and muttered a spell, causing a bunch of decorations to fly up around her room. A large banner hung in the middle of her room that said 'Welcome Back' and confetti flew in different directions.

"I was going to do this as a surprise for when you came back home so I could give a formal apology."

Though it was somewhat cheesy, Luna loved what he had planned for her. She smiled happily at him and pecked him on the cheek. "I love it."

"Good, because if you didn't, then it would make me seem like some weird stalker boyfriend."

"You're not weird..." Luna said, giving him a playful look.

Harry cocked an eyebrow. "So you're saying I'm a stalker?"

"Yes." Luna joked.

"Thanks." Harry gave a mock hurt look, but his eyes were twinkling happily. He gave a soft chuckle and put his arm around Luna. "Don't let Snape get into your head."

"Promise me, I won't. Merlin knows I've had too many odd moments with Snape to last a lifetime."

"Oh really? What happened?"

"Oh, well," Luna began, knowing she was treading Harry's jealousy zone. "Hesawmenakedthismorning." Luna said quickly, hoping Harry didn't catch it.

"That trick doesn't work with me, Luna. I've used that many times to ask girls out." Harry laughed and sat down on her bed, pulling her with him. "Come on, it can't be that bad."

Luna blushed just at the memory of the event that happened only three hours ago. Eyeing Harry quickly, Luna took a deep breath and said. "Snape saw me naked this morning."

Harry's hand clamped down on Luna shoulder somewhat painfully, and Harry's face instantly became angry. He swallowed rather difficultly. Luna felt his breathing hitch in his throat for a second, and her blushing increased to rival Ginny's hair. "H- How did he... uh... see you naked?" He was obviously having a hard time controlling his rising anger.

Luna told him about the custom of the werewolf pack that she visited, Natasha, Madara, Jelena, the environment she lived in, how it was her mom's pack, blood sisters, Snape and Remus coming to take her back to Hogwarts, and how Dominic was to be the new dark arts teacher. Harry's anger slowly diminished as she told her story. Harry had a suggestive smile when Luna talked about being around a bunch of naked girls, and she quickly slapped him playfully.

However, Harry did frown when Luna told him Natasha's story. "How long had it been since she's been bitten?" Harry asked.

Luna thought for a moment, then said. "From what I gathered, almost a year. She had only been in this pack for a few months, and she was held with Fenrir for about 2 months."

"Did he actually..." Harry made a hand movement to suggest what he was afraid to say.

"No, just made her do everything else."

"Oh." Harry stared at nothing in particular, when he started laughing. "I'm so glad Snape only saw you naked on accident. I was afraid-"

"I would never sleep with Snape." Luna cut in. Both of them laughed easily, Harry's anger diminishing quickly. "Does everyone know about the old dark arts teacher's death?"

"It was announced last night." Harry explained. "Of course Hermione, Ron, and I were informed on what really happened to him, but everyone thinks it wasn't murder."

Both sat in silence again, each pondering in their own thoughts. Slowly, the memory of what the girls explained what she could do came back to her. She smiled to herself and looked up at Harry. She was sure ready to move on to more than just simple little kisses, probably more due to her wolf. Didn't mean she wasn't embarrassed to suggest such a thing.

"There's good news out of the experience though." Luna said as she turned to face him.

"Hmm?" Harry looked at her with a small smile.

"The girls and I were talking about the mating ceremony, and they told me about how they coped with the heat."

"Was the advice helpful?" Harry asked.

"I think so," Luna replied. "They said we could do other things." A small blush appeared on her face.

"Like what?" Harry's face was composed and serious, not the slightest idea of what she was talking about.

"Don't make me say it." Luna said, embarrassment filled in her voice. "I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."

Realization dawned on Harry shortly after. His eyes grew wide and his cheeks flushed slightly. He coughed softly and looked down at his lap. "So, that stuff is alright to do?"

"Yea, in order to keep myself at bay until I'm ready to have sex."

Harry nodded his head, taking his turn to be speechless. He looked back up at her and chuckled. "I've been so freaked out that I couldn't do anything more than just give you a little peck here and there, and now I find out that it's all okay. All of those cold showers for nothing."

Luna laughed freely at Harry's misfortune and smiled brightly. "I'm hoping all those cold showers were because of me."

"Trust me, they were." Harry said seductively, while wiggling his eyebrow suggestively. Luna could only giggle in order to hide how much that tone affected her.

"I'm glad we got that discussion over with."

Harry cupped Luna's face and kissed her quickly. "Me too."

Harry, with his hands still cupped around her face, looked deep into her eyes, searching for something Luna didn't know. Harry lowered his lips to her and kissed her again, this time filled with more passion than before. She could feel him smiling against her lips. Luna parted her lips slightly, allowing Harry to explore with his tongue. Luna sighed as the kiss continued, very happy Harry and her had that talk.

Harry pulled away, causing Luna to whimper against his lips. He smirked at her and brushed her blonde hair out of her eyes. "As much as I'd love to continue this, we better go to breakfast. No one else knows you're here."

"This is true." Luna sighed, not exactly thrilled to stop what they were doing. "They could wait."

"Better not make them wait. I think Ginny would slap me again for keeping you away from girl talk."

"Girl talk?"

Harry got up and pulled her up with him. "I don't know, but I'm sure she'd want to talk to you about the past two days."

"What time is it anyway?" Luna asked as they stepped out of her room.

"Almost 10." Harry replied. "Ron should at least be moving now."

"Don't you usually sleep in?"

"Normally, but I wanted to get the decorations set up before you got back, and I didn't want Ron making fun of me for doing it."

"I highly doubt he'd make fun of you."

Harry looked at her and shook his head. "You obviously don't know what he's capable of."

"Do I need to remind you when you and I were forced into a 'relationship' with Hermione and Ron?"

"Please don't remind me of those dark days. I don't want to remember Ron kissing you."

"Did it anger you?"

"I haven't experience so much anger before."

"Not even with dueling dangerous witches and wizards?" Luna teased.

"Not even then." He gave her a cheeky smile. "Did it make you jealous when I kissed Hermione?"

"Not really." When Harry gave her a confused look, she explained. "Your face was so funny that I thought it more humorous that something to be jealous about."

"It wasn't that pleasant, to be truthful. I don't fancy tongues touching my tonsils."

"I don't think she was trying to impress you with her skills. I think it was more of the lines of let-me-make-Ron-jealous kiss."

"Indeed. Then what do you think Ron's kiss was for?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. Probably just did it on a whim."

"Did, uh... did you enjoy it?" Harry asked hesitantly.

Completely taking off guard, Luna looked at him quizzically. Luna herself didn't like the kiss that much, because she didn't like Ron in that way. Nothing was really behind the kiss. "No, I didn't." Harry visibly released the tension that he had held. Curiosity consumed Luna's mind as a question popped into her head. "What would you do if I said I enjoyed it?"

Harry looked startled by the question and eyed her for a second. A mischievous grin played across his face and a glint sparkled in his eyes. "I would have to prove that wrong."

Luna cocked her light eyebrows at what he said. It sent chills down her spine, and she didn't mind at all. Knowing exactly what she would get, she replied "And, pray tell, how would you do such a thing?" Luna licked her lips quickly and could feel her lips already tugging at the corners.

Within milliseconds, Harry had Luna behind on of the statues and up against the wall. A small gasp escaped her lips with the force put into it. "Well," Harry huskily whispered in her ear, which caused Luna's knees to buckle slightly. "I would begin with this." He kissed her lips possessively, his hands entwining into her blonde hair. He nipped her lip softly, causing Luna to shiver.

"Then I'd do this." He began kissing her jaw line and moving ever so slowly, and teasingly, down to her neck. His kisses left a hot tingling sensation on her skin and caused her to shiver. He finally came to stop near her ear and graze his teeth against the sensitive skin before kissing it. Luna's heart was thudding in her chest and ringing in her ears. The wolf inside her was going insane, purring loudly as her heart was thudding.

"And finally, I'd do this." Harry kissed that spot one last time and nibbled her earlobe. Luna never thought she would be so thankful for her earlobe, but she was now. Harry pulled away from her slowly and smirked at her. "I think I'm always going to love when your eyes are silver. Then I know I'm doing something right."

"For the record, that was utterly amazing." Luna said dreamily.

"So does that mean I'm better kisser than Ron?"

"Do I even need to answer?"

"Yes, so you can boost my ego." Harry puffed his chest out and smiled happily.

Luna couldn't resist laughing at him and whispered. "You are the best kisser known to man."

"Why thank you." Harry said with a glint in his eye that reminded her of Sirius. "And you, my dear, are a very good flirt."

"I was flirting?" Luna asked, never really knowing how to flirt.

"If that wasn't flirting, I think I'd die when you do."

"I just really haven't flirted with anyone, so I don't really know what it is."

"Keep up whatever you're doing, then, cause it's working wonders on your boyfriend."

As they continued to walk, Luna felt completely at ease with Harry. She was glad that he wasn't angry at her anymore, and she was happy that he isn't afraid to show his affection to her anymore. There was still the unsureness of her sleeping with him. True, all the other werewolves said that it was a pure physical act and there was no love in it, but it wasn't what Luna wanted. She dreamed of sharing that part of her life with someone she loved or really liked. Nothing against what normal werewolves do, she just wasn't a full-blown werewolf.

Natasha seemed to know what Luna thought about it, since she never did anything sexually with a guy until Fenrir got a hold of her. Would she be able to handle the physicality of the whole thing, even after what Fenrir did to her?

Harry held her hand, tangling his fingers with hers. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"What?" Luna looked at him as if he spoke a foreign language.

Harry shook his head and said, "I forgot. It's a muggle term that basically means what are you thinking about. I guess it would be, a sickle for your thoughts."

"What a clever saying." Luna said, mentally storing it in a folder in her mind. "I was thinking about how Natasha is going to do with the mating ceremony."

"Do you think she'll say no?"

"I don't know. She talked about it openly with me, but I felt it still hurts her today."

Harry stayed quiet for a minute before he said, "She had gone through a lot in the past months. It's not going to go away within a few months either. She'll have that with her for the rest of her days. Maybe she's come to terms with what has happened to her, maybe she hasn't. She's just going to have to learn to accept the fact it happened and try to live her life to it's fullest."

Luna smiled at Harry, and squeezed his hand. "When did you become so knowledgeable about emotional problems?"

Harry's eyes dimmed slightly as he looked her square in the eye. "I guess I learned from the way I was treated at home."

Luna knew that the relatives that he stayed with weren't welcoming the possibility of wizards, but she never knew what all actually happened. He never shared that with people. She had always wondered why he hadn't, and now she was getting a little taste of it. Maybe it was because she was so naive about all the types of abuse, but it was hard for her to grasp on all the emotional things that tie around these acts.

"Hey, don't get upset." Harry said as he stopped their walking and rubbed her forearm. "You don't need to fret over what happened to me then. I'm a better person from it." Luna tried her best to look happy, but apparently it failed by the look Harry gave her. He pulled her into a tight and protective hug, resting his chin on top of her head.

"This day so far has been a roller coaster." Luan grumbled, snuggling more into his chest and smelling the almond smell that was so unique to him.

"Well let's make it a happy roller coaster instead of an emotional one." Harry said as he slid his arm around her shoulders and steered her down the last flight of stairs. "Soon you'll be bombarded by Ginny, Hermione, and Constantine and they will be excited to hear about this werewolf teacher. I would much rather have you be with me all day, but do I want to risk having three pissed off girls demanding I set you free? I'd rather let them talk to you first. We can always do something later." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Luna smirked at him.

"Who said that I'd want to see you later?" Luna said playfully as she pulled away from Harry. He looked hurt for a second, but then noticed the playfulness in her eyes and he laughed.

"I can be pretty persuasive."

"Hmm, I can be too Mr. Potter." Luna smiled as all the students were eating their breakfast excitedly. Luna began making her way over to the Ravenclaw table when Harry began pulling her with him.

"I've been meaning to ask you if you would eat with me at the Gryffindor table. I mean, if you don't want to..."

"I'd love that." Luna said as she allowed him to steer her towards his table. Hermione and Ginny jumped up from the table and ran to meet Luna. Harry moved just in time to miss Hermione and Ginny wrapping their arms around Luna and hugging her tightly. Luna gasped for air since they were depriving her from it.

"You're back!" Ginny screamed, hugging Luna again.

"I was only gone for a day and a half." Luna chuckled.

"But when you're with werewolves and we didn't get a chance to say goodbye, it seems like a longer time." Hermione said happily, smiling broadly.

"I slapped Harry for you since he was a big git." Ginny whispered as he gave Harry a harsh glare.

"Don't worry, he apologized and we've worked it out."

"Hey." Ron said as he chomped on a sausage link, not really looking up from his meal. Hermione rolled her eyes at him, while Luna laughed softly.

"How about you let my girlfriend sit down and have some breakfast?" Harry said jokingly to Hermione and Ginny. Luna scooted closer to Harry as she began to put some pancakes on her plate. Hermione took her place next to Ron, and Ginny sat next to Luna. Luna looked around the room for Constantine, but didn't see her anywhere.

"Where's Constantine?" Luna asked Ginny.

Ginny shrugged her shoulders and said, "I haven't seen her for a few days."

"Wait, did she even tell you that I was gone?"

Hermione shook her head and said, "We thought you were kidnapped when we went to get to the other day. So we went to Dumbledore, but he told us where you were."

"So Constantine knew that you had left, and yet she decided not to tell us?" Harry furrowed his eyebrows and anger began etching his features. "That's a bitchy move."

"I'm sure she has a perfectly good reason why she didn't say anything." Luna said unconvincingly.

Ginny snorted into her milk at looked at Luna apprehensively. "I doubt that she's gonna have a good excuse."

Luna shrugged her shoulders and kept her mouth shut. She put a piece of pancake in her mouth and swallowed quickly. Everyone began talking about other miscellaneous things. Ginny was in the middle of telling Luna about Lavender's latest sex scandal when Dominic walked up to the faculty table. All the girls turned their heads in his direction and got the same star struck look upon their faces. Dominic sat down at his chair and instantly found Luna in the whole damn crowd. Luna inwardly groaned as he flashed her a bright smile, knowing that in a few seconds she would be violated with thousands of questions from Ginny.

"Who is that amazing piece of meat smiling at you?" Ginny said on queue. Luna turned away from Dominic to look at Ginny.

"His name is Dominic Fruma. He's the new dark arts teacher."

"I'd like to practice some art with him." Ginny said suggestively, staring at him like he was chocolate. Ron spat his milk on his plate and stared at Ginny angrily.

"You aren't going near him." Ron said angrily.

"You can't tell me who I can go near, Ron. I'm a grown woman."

"No, you're my sister." Ron crossed is arms and glared at her.

"I am a woman, Ron, whether you like it or not. I have sexual needs, dingbat." Luna gave a shut-up-about-your-sex-life look to Ginny, while Ron's ears turned maroon in anger.

"Who the hell did you have sex with?" Ron's voice began rising quickly, and some people began turning around to watch.

Luna, however, grabbed Ginny's arm and made her get up. "Ginny, I have so much to tell you. Hermione, care to join us?"

Hermione getting Luna's pointed look, stood up and said, "I would love to. See you guys later!" Hermione latched onto Ginny's other arm and dragged her away from a disgruntled Ron. Ginny's cheeks were still flushed when Hermione and Ginny dragged her outside towards the lake. They sat the fuming redhead underneath a tree, earning a few curse words from her.

"He's such an idiotic douche!" Ginny said dangerously low. "How come he can't understand that I'm not a five year old anymore?"

"He's just worried about you, Ginny." Hermione said soothingly as she and Luna sat down on either side of Ginny. "Though he may express that worry in ways that aren't sensible, he is just trying to look out for you."

"It's your own fault the argument went into your sex life." Luna added, gaining a death glare from Ginny. "You were the one that brought up how you have 'sexual needs.' So you can only blame yourself on that one."

"So?" Ginny said, reminding the two girls now of the brother she was angry at. "He doesn't have to get angry at me because he has his virginity."

"That's not true." Hermione said softly. When Luna and Ginny looked at her shockingly, Hermione waved her hands in front of her and shook her head. "No, no, no. He slept with Lavender last year. So he's not a virgin."

"Ew." Luna let out, disgust evident in her voice. "I hope it was before she was the Hogwarts slut."

"After they broke up was when she started doing all that stuff." Hermione explained.

"Who knew my brother had the balls to sleep with her." Ginny laughed at him, her anger obviously evaporating. "Have you two..."

"I won't discuss what we have done." Hermione said sternly.

"Why not?"

"Because you are his sister, and I still find it awkward to talk about what activities I do or don't do with your brother."

Luna looked between the two girls, laughing softly about their discussion of their sex lives. She stretched her legs out in front of her and cracked her back. When it was evident that Hermione and Ginny stopped talking, Luna leaned against the tree, sighing peacefully, and closed her eyes. She almost felt like she was back with the pack, only the voices of the other students keeping her from believing so.

"So," Hermione began. "Are you going to tell us about what happened while you were gone?"

"Or are you just going to make us wait?" Ginny concluded.

Luna barked a laugh and said, "Yea yea I'll tell you." Luna told them every single thing that happened on the trip, even including the part where Snape and Remus saw her naked. Ginny laughed uncontrollably when Luna explained her embarrassment, while Hermione looked completely mortified. Both girls stayed quiet when Luna talked about Natasha, relieving Luna by not asking questions.

"Didn't you feel awkward when you had to get naked?" Ginny asked. "I'd sure as hell would be. I'm sure anyone would no matter how confident in their body they were."

"It was for a few minutes." Luna replied. "It didn't seem odd though, I can't really explain it."

"Well you were at peace with your wolf side." Hermione told them. "Your wolf side is the more animalistic side, doing animal like behaviors. Being outside in your natural element brought it to peace."

"Sometimes I feel you know more about me than I do." Luna joked.

"Well, I did research all that werewolf stuff when Remus was here."

"So you can now do stuff with Harry?" Ginny asked after they sat in a comfortable silence.

"Yea, I can."

"So when are you going to start?" Ginny inquired eagerly. Luna could tell that she wanted to talk about someone's sex life, and if Hermione wasn't going to share anything... Luna was the next target.

"I don't know, we haven't really talked about it."

"You don't talk about it, Luna, you just do it."

"Now wait a minute," Hermione said as Ginny snickered in the background. "It sure as hell is something to talk about. Harry hasn't had an idea that they could do that stuff. So if she just jumps on him... he'll probably freak out."

"I already told him that we could do that stuff now, but that's really the extent of that conversation." Luna explained.

"So what did he do after that?" GInny joked.

"We only made out." Luna replied, memories of her and Harry behind the statue filling her head. The trail on her neck tingled lightly, yearning to be kissed again. She smiled to herself at the memory, wanting to relive it as soon as possible.

"Must have been good."

"What?"

"You're eyes are silver again." Hermione said with a smile on her face.

"Damn it." Luna's cheeks flushed in embarrassment, but the smile still stayed on her face. Hermione and Ginny laughed at Luna, and shortly Luna joined in. Luna stopped once her sides started hurting and laid down across the grass. With her hands behind her head, she closed her eyes and started humming a song to herself. They spend the rest of the morning laughing and gossiping underneath the tree, not giving a care in the world that someone might be listening. Ginny ran up to the Great Hall to fetch everyone something to snack on since no one was particularly hungry enough to eat a full meal. Luna bit into her green apple and savored the luscious taste.

"I'm gonna go find Harry." Luna said after spending a few hours with the girls. She waved goodbye to both of them (and gave Ginny one final smack for the suggestive hand movements) and made her way back up to the castle slowly. Though Luna said she was going to find Harry, she had other things on her mind.

_"What has happened to Constantine?" _Luna though curiously. _"She has never acted like this before. I'm sure she has a perfect reason for what she did." _Luna knew that she was fooling herself into believing Constantine didn't mean to not tell. Ever since the ball, Luna felt that Constantine changed. Whoever that _boy_ was made her change somehow. Maybe it was just because Constantine was just too happy dating someone. Luna could identify with the same feelings, since she just started dating Harry.

_"I didn't ignore everyone though, nor did I neglect to tell important information."_ Luna criticized in her head. Luna shook her head and sighed as she walked by, not caring if people thought she was crazy or talking to herself. _"Oh how I wish nothing bad was going on and everything was peaceful."_ Luna thought bitterly about the ongoing war that she was growing up in. She clenched her jaw as the thought of all the people that had died at the hands of Voldemort. Countless of people died before Cedric, most notably in Luna's mind Mr. and Mrs. Potter. A dead chill swept over Luna as she thought what if Harry didn't survive. She pushed the thought out of her mind and began thinking about his parents. She had only seen some pictures of the lovebirds from her mom's photo album. One was taken a few nights before they died, when they were about to go into hiding. It had been far too long since Luna had seen that photo album. Luna reminded herself to ask her dad to retrieve it so she can look at it again and possibly show Harry the picture of his family.

_"He's still with the Death Eaters."_ Luna nearly cried when she remembered the man that had raised her was in grave danger. True, the man wasn't her biological father, but she would never stop calling him dad. Sirius was her father, a man who she got to know in his last years. But her dad was the man that made sure she believed in what she thought was right, no matter how ludicrous everyone thought it was. That man will always hold a special place in her heart, right next to Sirius and her mother. Luna was left with the horrible feeling that war settles nothing, and to win a war is as almost as disastrous as to lose one. She gulped as she felt her throat dry up. _"Who all around me will die once this war end... if it ever ends?"_

Harry's words from earlier started nudging the thoughts out of her head. Let's make it a happy roller coaster is what he said when she was slightly upset that morning. Taking his advice, she pushed her previous thought back into her head. Luna immediately felt at ease once she stopped concentrating on what was bothering her, making her way along the lake. She had no idea where Harry would be, and she mentally slapped herself for not asking him what his plans were.

She wandered idly around the grounds, hoping to find Harry soon. Luna slowed her steps as she began thinking about his whereabouts. "Damn it." She cursed in frustration when she couldn't think of where he could be. She flailed her arms and sighed loudly. The one person to guarantee a happy time was nowhere to be found. She turned around and began walking, but nearby shouting caused Luna to stop and turn around. She noticed red and yellow Quidditch robes walking out of the Quidditch stadium. Luna began walking slowly, straining her ear to listen to the shouting, but then sped up as she heard a familiar voice booming from the crowd.

"Fucking banshee!" Ron yelled venomously. Luna pushed through the crowd, halting immediately at the sight before her. Ron was stomping to her least favorite Hufflepuff. Luna cringed as she looked upon the smug smirk on Sterling's face when he caught a glimpse of Luna, but he quickly turned his attention to the angry red head before him. Ron came face to face, rather chest to face, with Sterling, easily over towering him. "You came here to steal our plays."

"Not originally," Sterling replied rather coolly, considering he had an angry Weasley in front of him. "We came to practice, not knowing you had reserved the stadium. So we decided to take advantage of the situation." He looked Ron dead in the eye and smirked. "Nothing worth to steal though."

Ron wound back his arm when Harry emerged out of nowhere and held onto Ron's arm. Ron stared at Harry incredulously. Harry pushed Ron away from Sterling and said, "No use in starting a fight now when we have a game next week."

"Like losing him would be of great importance." Ron lunged at him again, but Harry wrapped an arm around him and pulled him back. Sterling laughed coldly and looked at the sight before him. "Once again Harry Potter comes and saves his little side kick."

"Let me beat the shit out of him!" Ron hollered. Harry tightened his grip on him and shoved him harder. Seamus joined Harry and held onto him as Ron flailed his arms in an attempt to break free.

"Come on mate, not worth it." Seamus grunted as he pulled Ron farther away from Sterling.

"How pathetic. Harry can't even hold someone back by himself." He snickered loudly, throwing his head back. Luna stole a glance at the other Hufflepuffs to see how they were reacting to their captain. Most of them looked extremely uncomfortable, but none dared to try to stop Sterling. Luna probably wouldn't have either, but just because she would be afraid of what Sterling would suggest they do instead.

Harry looked over his shoulder at Sterling and rolled his eyes. "Don't try to drag me into this fight that you started."

"You afraid that you'd lose?"

"Not at all. I'm just not stupid enough to get into a fight so close to a game and lose concentration."

Dean held onto one of Ron's arms as Harry let go of him and stood to straighten his robes. Ron's face was completely red now, his eyes practically burning holes into Sterling's skin.

"Lose concentration... so that means no time for your girlfriend then eh?"

Every person minus Harry looked at Luna, a tense silence consuming them all. Luna's eyebrows practically disappeared in her scalp. Harry noticeably stiffened and stayed still. She quickly figured out that Sterling had planned to fight with Harry all along. He egged him on by showing up to a scheduled practice, then caused Ron to get angry so Harry would have to hold him back, he insulted Harry's strength and courage. Now he thought bringing in her would be the last straw for Harry.

He was right.

"Don't you dare talk about her." Harry said poisonously. He turned to face Sterling with anger brewing in his eyes, clouding his emerald eyes to become a stormy green. Luna's breath hitched in her throat as she looked at the anger that boiled in those eyes.

_"If looks could kill..." _Luna thought as he walked slowly up to Sterling. In that moment, Harry's look rivaled that of the Death Eaters she encountered those few years ago at the Ministry.

"I'll take care of her while you're busy." Sterling said smugly, eyeing Luna up and down. "I'm sure I'll find her a good position here."

Luna felt like vomiting at the sexual innuendo, but her mind was quickly distracted as she watched Sterling slowly pull his wand out from his sleeve. Luna's alarms immediately went off as she knew no one kept their wand with them when playing Quidditch, meaning Harry was defenseless.

Harry finally registered that Luna was there by the way Sterling was looking at her. His eyes softened slightly at the sight of her, but his fists clenched even tighter than before. "You will never go near her."

"You see, Harry, that's where you're wrong. I'm a very patient person, so I'll be waiting for as long as it takes."

As Harry raised his hand for a punch, Sterling let his wand fall completely into his hands and raise it up to cast god knows what. Luna, however, was quick enough to pull her wand out and cast a shield around Harry just as red sparks flew in his direction. Sterling stared stunned for a second until Harry's fist collided with the side of his jaw. Sterling stumbled back and held his face in his hands. Luna walked up to Harry, wand still out, and glared at Sterling.

Ron broke free and bolted to Sterling, giving him a nasty punch to his stomach. Sterling grunted loudly and fell down. "I do fine protecting myself, asshole."

When Sterling finally registered what had happened, he nudged past his teammates and left the crowd. Luna tucked her wand behind her ear and Ron turned back around and smiled at the team. "That was fun." He bragged. The team chuckled at him and patted him on the back. Harry put a strong hold on Luna's shoulder and turned her around.

"He won't hurt you." He whispered, concern, anger, and worry all showing on his chiseled face.

Luna nodded her head slowly. "I know."

"He won't come near you."

Luna understood that he was trying to convince himself more than her. She knew he was more worried since of her unstable condition, and Sterling most likely got to his head when he said he would wait for as long as it took. It concerned her too, but at the moment she didn't want to have him in her mind. Luna smiled warmly at him, hoping to ease him into a better mood. "How about we hang out some?"

"Sure." Harry said absentmindedly, not really concentrating on her. Luna sighed. It was going to take a lot to get Harry to stop thinking about Sterling.

"Would you like to change?" Luna suggested.

He shook his head quickly, his eyes deep in thought. Luna grabbed his hand and pulled him to start walking with her. She recognized the look he carried as they walked, for she saw it many times. That look was on his face when he tried to convince her and the others from going with him to the ministry in fifth year. It was there when the meeting to sign up for the DA took place. It was there when Harry talked about fighting Death Eaters. The look was fear for those he cared about.

Luna thought the look was a bittersweet reward. It meant that Harry cared for her well being, but it also meant that Harry would try to talk her out of doing something that could possibly be dangerous or involve Sterling. Knowing Hogwarts, that would mean Luna could only be in her room at all times. Still, Luna was touched to see that he cared for her to be worried about her well-being.

She was able to drag her dazed boyfriend to her room and walked in slowly. She let go of his hand and sat on the bed, while he stood in front of her with a range of emotions playing across his face.

"Sickle for your thoughts?" Luna inquired, mentally clapping as she used the clever saying.

Harry snapped out of his trance and looked at Luna quizzically before replying. "They cost a little more than that."

Luna wasn't expecting that at all. She looked around the room, trying to think of something that could be better than a sickle. She smiled as she walked over to a bag and pulled out a sugar quill. "Sugar quill for your thoughts?"

Harry contemplated for a second before he grabbed it and began munching on it. "I don't like Sterling being here and how he's after you."

"I don't either, but technically he hasn't done anything wrong."

"What do you mean? He threatened to rape you just a few months ago."

"But you see, it was just that. A _threat_. There isn't much we could do based on a threat."

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his black hair. "I can't stand the thought of him trying to do anything with you."

"For the most part, he has left me alone these past few months. He may have just said what he said to get you to fight him."

"Every guy here has a crush on you, Luna. I highly doubt he will stop."

Luna blushed. "I don't care if they have crushes on me or not."

Harry ignored her and continued. "He has been with most of the girls in my year. He has always succeeded in his projects. He even was with Pansy Parkinson. You're his next project, and you resisting him is making him want you more."

Luna frowned and looked to the ground, knowing he was right. Again, she pushed the thoughts of Sterling out of her head and flashed a brilliant smile. "What happened to the happy roller coaster?"

"It seems to have evaporated." Harry muttered.

"What can we do to bring it back?"

"Nothing. Not while Sterling is in my mind."

Luna stood up and walked to him slowly. "Let me fix that." She stood on her tip toes and gave him a soft kiss. She pulled away and looked at him, hoping to see a smile or a suggestive smirk. Instead, Harry stared down at her with an insane amount of worry. Harry grabbed Luna and pulled her into a fierce kiss, completely taking her by surprise. He squeezed her even more as the kiss progressed, a protective aura surrounding them.

"I will always be there." He whispered hoarsely as he took deep breaths. He kissed her forehead and cupped her face, moving his thumb slowly against her cheek. "I want you to know that."

"You've proved that time and time again." Luna responded. She kissed him on his cheek when an idea popped in her head. She smirked against his cheek as she started moving her kissed down to his neck. She mimicked some of what he did to her that morning, biting his neck lightly in places. She blew on the spot that she had just kissed, and she heard him intake air sharply. She held a smug expression as she pulled away.

"Don't stop." He pleaded with her, his eyes sharp onto hers. He moved even closer to her and kissed her harder. She nipped his bottom lip, causing a groan to escape his lips. She smiled wildly. His hands ventured down to her waist, resting protectively. She put her arms around his neck as she deepened the kiss. He let her be dominant as they kissed, her tongue moving around delicately. She ran a hand through his hair, causing a moan from him. Reflexively, he pulled her closer to him, letting Luna feel his muscles under his Quidditch robes.

"Merlin." Harry said breathily when they parted for air. His hair was standing on all ends and messier than usual, thanks to Luna's roaming hands. Luna could feel the blood pumping though her lips, and she had no doubt that her eyes were silver.

"Was it bad?" She teased, knowing she had a very positive effect on him.

"Do you need to ask?" He replied and moved over to the bed, never letting go of her.

"Well, I'm not sure. You might think it was bad..." Luna loved teasing him like this, and he caught on pretty quickly.

"I'm not sure if that was satisfactory. How about you try a little harder." Both of them sat on the bed and smiled knowingly at each other. She gave him a wolfish smile and kissed his neck again. She repeated blowing on a previous kiss, and she quickly learned that it felt amazing to him. Mentally storing the information, she moved back up to his lips. He pulled her into his lap, with her legs on either side of him. His hands went up and down her back, causing chills to sweep over her and a low moan.

"God, you're beautiful." He whispered barely audible, but she still heard it. She visibly gulped, her throat suddenly feeling dry. He held a serious look as the corners of his lips tugged upwards. He held onto her hand tightly as he stared into her eyes, making Luna feel like she was the only person in the room.

_"I am the only person in the room."_ Luna thought, but it didn't matter. She knew if there were people around, she would still feel the same way. For what felt like the millionth time that day, Harry pulled her into a gentle kiss. She felt at peace during the kiss, her heart fluttering gracefully. She pressed her lips harder against his, wanting more. He smirked against her lips and opened his mouth slightly, allowing both of them to deepen their kiss.

His hands roamed through her hair, holding on gently as he moaned in her mouth. She found herself leaning back more and more, until she was lying on her back, and he on his side. His stubble rubbed against her skin, creating an erotic friction that she quickly wanted more of. He bit her lip roughly, but not too rough. She took in a sharp breath as he did it, her mind reeling with his touch. She felt him shift and leave her lips, and she opened her eyes to see what he was doing.

He was sitting up and looking down at her with fireworks in his eyes. He brought his lovely lips to a smile as he leaned over her and kissed her again. Chills went down her spine as she felt him letting himself rest on top of her. She bent one of her legs next to him to accommodate him. She could feel his heart racing against her chest, and she was sure he could feel hers racing just as fast. She snaked her hands around his chest and rubbed his back. Luna opened her eyes slightly to see him moan loudly, his eyes closed and his face emitting pleasure. He eventually opened his eyes and peered down at her, his glasses sliding down his nose. He looked down at her clothes and smirked happily.

"Who knew that I would find our uniform sexy." He said huskily. Luna looked down at her and noticed her skirt was hitched up to her hips. A blush rose on her face as she smiled shyly at him. A knock on her door sounded loudly shortly after, causing both of them to groan in annoyance. She tried to push him off of her, but he kept is ground and kissed her again.

"I have to go see who it is." She said in between kisses.

"Ignore it." He replied.

The knocking grew louder, and Luna giggled in the kiss.

"It could be something important."

"I don't think so."

"I hear you two in there." Hermione said crossly. "And it is important, Harry."

Harry gave Luna an annoyed look with playfulness swimming around, and let go of her reluctantly. Luna released the wrinkles in her clothes and opened the door to reveal Hermione with crossed arms. One look at Luna and Hermione raised an eyebrow. Luna guessed that it was evident what they were just doing. She blushed slightly and gave her a sheepish smile.

"I was wondering if I could talk to you, privately." Hermione said in hush tones as she stole a glance at Harry. "It's about Ron."

Luna nodded her head and looked back at Harry. He sighed and stood up, already understanding that he needed to leave. "I'll see you later tonight. I'm going to need a cold shower." He whispered in her ear.

She smirked and gave him a quick peck. "Stay in this area. We can finish after." Luna whispered back. His eyes sparkled with mischief, a look Luna now completely adored, and said his goodbyes to the two girls.

When the door shut, Hermione turned to Luna and apologized profusely. "I am so sorry. I had no idea that you two were already with each other."

"It's fine." Luna shrugged knowing that her wolf personality wanted to shred Hermione to pieces. "What did Ron do?"

"It's more of what I did." Hermione visibly swallowed and rung her hands together.

Shock was roaming through Luna, hoping that whatever Hermione did wasn't horrible. She pulled Hermione more into her room and sat her on one of the comfy chairs, while Luna took the other next to her. Luna braced herself for whatever was to come out of Hermione's mouth, already dreading the news.

Hermione was struggling with words, opening her mouth and then closing it quickly. Finally, she looked her dead in the eye and said. "I had oral sex with him."

Luna couldn't help but laugh, because she was thinking the worse. She laughed at how worried she was over telling Luna. Hermione looked like she had been petrified and put her head in her hands. "That's it?" Luna asked between laughs.

Hermione's head shot upright and gave Luna a scowl. "That's it?! I think it's more than just that."

"The way you were acting was like you had just killed someone or cheated on him."

Hermione's scowl deepened. "This is a big deal, Luna."

Luna calmed her laughing and smiled at her. "I'm sorry, it just wasn't something I expected." Hermione nodded her head, her body sinking into the chair. Luna folded her legs underneath her and turned to face Hermione more. "So, tell me about what's bothering you."

"Well, it was weird." Hermione said, wrinkling her nose slightly. "Tasted weird too." Luna suppressed a laugh as she continued. "He was in a good mood about hitting Sterling, and he came up and told me everything about it. We had just been sitting there when he started to kiss me. Things progressed, and we moved up to his room to be in private. He cast a silencing charm on his bed and closed the curtains, and that's when I felt it."

Luna nodded her head, immediately know what it was.

"I had only ever felt it once with Victor while we were dancing at the Yule Ball, but I never did anything with him. I mean, I knew he wanted me too, but I was only 14. It wasn't something I felt I was mature enough to do."

"I think you've been mature since I've known you." Luna complimented, giving Hermione a reassuring smile.

Hermione gave her a half smile before continuing. "I thought I could keep on kissing him, much like I did when I just kept on dancing with Victor. Eventually, Ron started moving his hips around against me. I knew what he was thinking in his mind, but I didn't want to go all the way you know? So I tried to think of the next best thing, so I gave it to him." A blush crept upon her face, obviously feeling odd talking about it. "It didn't last terribly long, but I didn't think it would take that long."

Luna chuckled and said, "I would think most girls would like that he lasted for a long time."

Hermione laughed for the first time since she'd been in her room. "I think you're right. What bothered me though was that I'm not sure I did it right."

Luna felt a little bit of pity for Hermione, knowing if Luna was in her position, she probably wouldn't know either. Luna reminded herself that she didn't know what it was like, and remembered that she would have to just be prepared for it. "Well, uhm, did he say anything after?"

Hermione nodded her head. "He said that we should do that more often."

Luna laughed as Hermione smiled. "I would say then you did it right."

"I guess, but I still feel unsure."

"Did he... you know, finish?" Luna blushed this time, feeling awkward talking about Ron getting off.

Hermione blushed too, both of them never really comfortable talking about sex. "Yea, he finished."

"Then I am positive you did it right."

"Ron would be happy that he is bigger than Victor." Hermione said with a smirk on her face.

Luna openly laughed. "I don't know if you even want to mention you know about Victor's size. Ron might just go ballistic."

"I think Ron might like the fact though that it felt like a pinky jabbing my back."

"Poor guy." Luna replied, a smirk on her face. "I bet that's a disappointment for a lot of girls."

"Probably." Hermione also had a smirk on her face. "I still can't believe I did it. I sound like such a prude, don't I?"

"I think everyone is prudish when they start going through sexual stuff." Luna replied honestly. "It's hard for me to hear Ginny talk about some stuff since she goes into such grave detail. Over time I bet it won't bother us though."

"Ginny's pretty comfortable with everything."

"She's also been having sex for about two years. She's never been afraid to say anything."

"So, were you and Harry..." Hermione looked at Luna sheepishly, passing what she was asking through her eyes instead of saying it out loud.

"Nothing like you just did." Luna teased. Hermione put a fake scowl on her face but quickly laughed. "We were just making out."

"Seems like you two are adjusting quickly."

"It's probably pent up sexual tension we've had since we were both scared of doing something that we'd both regret."

Hermione nodded her head slowly, her face showing she was thinking deeply. She glanced over to the door, as if Harry was right there, and asked, "Do you think you're ready to move on from just kissing?"

"I don't know. I don't think anything is going to happen anytime soon though."

"Alright. Do you have that book Ginny tried to give me?"

Luna laughed and grabbed the book from under her bed. "I haven't looked at it since."

"I want to make sure I did it right still." Hermione muttered as she cracked open _The Art of Sex: The Ultimate Way to Please Your Man_. She flipped thought the pages quickly until she found her desired topic. She read the page for a few minutes, while Luna looked at her peculiarly and twirled her wand in her fingers. Hermione looked up from the book and said, "It sounds like I did the basic moves, but it has a lot of suggestions."

"Really?" Luna said absentmindedly.

"Yea here listen: 'To make yourself comfortable in a kneeling position, put your knees on a pillow. It can give you a good range of motion.' Interesting."

"That's helpful."

"It gets better: 'Curling your tongue or flattening it can give him different types of stimulation and varies the sensations instead of it seeming routine. If he is on the larger side, do not attempt to deep throat him if you aren't used to it. If you try it without experience of deep throating, it will trigger your gag reflex. Until you are used to the size, put a hand at the base to give him more stimulation with your mouth. Coordinating your hand and mouth will give him even more stimulation. The scrotum has many nerve ending in them, so touching and holding on to them is also another stimulant.' Merlin, there's so much stuff in here."

"I bet." Luna stored the information in her head, her wolf giving a positive bark in her mind. "Ron will like what you've learned."

Hermione laughed and closed the book, going over to Luna's bed and shoving it underneath it. "I'm sure he will. He's probably going to have a silly grin on his face for most of the night."

Luna chuckled at her and stood up with Hermione. "Are you going to find him again?"

"No, I think I'm just going to relax and read." Hermione made her way over to the door, began opening it, but then paused. She turned around and studied Luna for a second. "Neither Ginny or I are you blood sisters, are we?"

Luna frowned as it dawned on Hermione. Luna shook her head and felt a pang of sadness. Hermione's face fell in disappointment, but quickly recovered. "I think it's only possible with werewolves. It would have been cool to have a blood sister. You and Ginny are my best friends. You two are the closest things I have to a blood sister in a normal person."

Hermione smiled brightly, walked over to Luna, and gave her a tight hug. Luna returned it with a smile on her face. "I'm glad you think that. I should go though. I think Harry has been waiting long enough."

Luna let out a barking laugh and led Hermione out of her room. Hermione waved to her as she walked away and Luna just smiled back. She laughed to herself at how worried Hermione was about what she did and on her performance. Luna knew that she was going to feel exactly the same way once she starts doing that stuff. Thoughts of if he would even like it started filling her mind, causing a build up of worry. True, she wasn't doing that stuff yet, but it was daunting to not know if he'd actually like it.

Two hands pulled on her waste as she was brought back into her room. She turned around and saw Harry grinning suggestively as he shut her door. He had changed out of his Quidditch uniform and now wore a grey sweater and a pair of blue jeans. "You were getting ready to get lost in your thoughts, and I figured we could do something else."

Luna laughed loudly and shoved him lightly away from her. "Who says I want to do anything now?"

He cocked his eyebrow and walked closer to her. He took a hand and ran it down her back, causing pleasurable chills to spread all over. He snickered and said, "Your eyes reveal the truth."

Luna cursed her eyes as she pursed her lips in frustration. Harry only laughed harder at her as he continued to rub his hands up and down her back. "I think you made your point." Luna replied slightly annoyingly.

Harry stopped and rested his hands at his sides. "Is everything alright with Hermione?"

"She's fine now. I'm not going to tell you because you'll probably be grossed out."

"I'll trust you then." Harry replied. "I have a good idea what it was though."

"Oh really?"

"I saw Ron when I went downstairs to change. He was lying on his bed with a stupid grin on his face, and told me what had happened."

"Oh."

"He's going to be pretty happy tonight."

"I bet he will." Luna shook her head with a smirk on her face. She stretched wildly and sat down on her bed. Harry walked over and joined her on the bed. She smiled at him and held onto his hand. She felt a scar on top of his hand. Startled by the rough skin, she pulled his hand up to her face to study it closely. She dragged her thumb across the scar that was much lighter than his skin. When she studied it closely with her eyes, she faintly made out what it was.

_I must not tell lies._

"She was a bitch." Harry said as he curiously watched her study his hand, his hand flexing as he thought of Umbridge. "She did it so many times that it is easily noticeable. I can't get rid of it."

"It hurt so much." Luna commented.

"What?" Harry said as his eyes hardened on her.

"I got detention with her too. Twice. I yelled at her for telling us not to trust you. She had me write, 'I must not believe lies.' I don't have a scar like yours, though. It's just two small lines where the words once shown."

"Let me see." Harry said sternly. Luna lifted her hand towards him, looking at the faint scars that stuck to her skin. They were thin lines, nothing as prominent as Harry's scars. The skin wasn't rough or raised, just two small white lines. Harry traced his fingers across the scars, his eyes staring at them incredulously. He held on to her hand for a few minutes, just studying her small scars. Luna watched his face, seeing his face become more concerned and angry. Luna prayed that this wasn't going to set him into another upset mood. It had happened two years ago, and there was no way Umbridge would come back and do it again. Harry looked up from the scars and bore into her eyes, concern flowing from them. She bit her lip in apprehension. He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it softly. "Thanks for believing me."

Luna released the breath she had been holding on to and smiled at him. "Your welcome."

They sat like that for a few minutes, each looking at each other happily. He never let go of her hand, constantly rubbing his thumb across it. He wiggled his eyebrows and asked. "You get any tips from Hermione."

Luna slapped him lightly on the hand that was holding hers, but laughed nonetheless. "No I didn't, Mr. Potter. We didn't go into detail."

"I wouldn't suspect her to do so. Ron, on the other hand, did." Harry shuddered slightly. "I don't want to think of Hermione like that."

"Well hopefully you won't have to." Luna remembered what Hermione had said about Ron's anatomy, and cringed slightly. "I also don't want to think of certain things about Ron either."

"I don't think I want to know."

"You don't."

He laughed at her and put an arm around her shoulder. "I probably know what that certain thing is, but we won't go into that."

"Lets not."

"Why are you even wearing our uniform? It's Sunday."

"It was the only clothes I had when I went to the pack." Luna replied. "Thank you for saying I'm beautiful earlier."

"It's the truth. You're more beautiful than you let yourself believe. " He walked over to her dresser and leaned his back against it. "I will always remind you that you are."

She smiled at the romantic things he was saying to her, making her heart swell in her chest. She made her way over to the dresser he was leaning against and pushed him gently out of the way so she could pull out some clothes. "If you don't mind, golden boy, I'd like to get changed."

"Golden boy?" Harry inquired playfully as he stood behind her.

Luna turned around and looked up at him. "Yea, it just kind of popped into my head. I think that will be my nick name for you."

He thought for a second and nodded his head. "I think I can accept that. Now, what shall I call you?"

"Don't let it be sugar pie honey bunch, please." She teased as she walked over to her bathroom. "I won't take long."

"I'll be waiting and thinking of a nick name."

She closed the door and grinned broadly. Letting out a small squeal, she changed quickly into her khaki pants and a green turtle neck sweater. Looked at herself in the mirror and almost laughed at herself. Her hair was ridiculously frizzy and standing in different directions. She cast a simple spell to tame it, and then applied some foundation to her pale skin. She noticed her lips were very red from their heavy kissing, but decided not to do anything about it. Spraying a light scented perfume, she smiled at her reflection and opened the door.

"Come up with anything good?"

"I believe so." Harry said as he walked up to Luna and held out an arm. "Ready to go to dinner?"

She took it happily and let him lead her out of the room. "Well, are you going to tell me or not?" She asked impatiently.

He stole a glance at her before saying. "Diamond."

She thought about it, her face looking pensive. She nodded her head after a few minutes and said, "I love it."

"You see, your eyes have always reminded me of diamonds." He revealed, steering her down the stairs. "And when your eyes become that brilliant silver color, it's like diamonds sparkling in the sun."

"Aren't you the romantic."

"I've been told that my dad was a big romantic. Always chasing my mom down these halls and buying her an assortment of gifts for years. She hated it, of course, since she thought he was a big jerk."

"That's not nice."

"Well, he was when he could be. He picked on Snape a lot, and look how much he loves me. But my dad eventually won my mom over, and here I am."

"I'm glad she changed her mind."

"You better be." They paused for a few minutes, each walking contently in the other's presence. "I didn't have to chase you down that long."

"You chased after me?" Luna inquired shockingly, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Don't look so surprised. I started liking you after we raided the ministry."

Luna stopped in her tracks and tilted her head curiously. "Are you serious?"

"Completely. I didn't recognize it then, but I knew that there was something special about you. I dated Ginny, thinking that I was completely in love with her, but I quickly found out that my feelings towards her weren't true. That's when I found out that I had a big crush on you."

"How come you didn't tell me?"

"And risk you not liking me? I have a hard time telling my emotions to girls I like. I screwed up with Cho when we slept together, and then the next week having her a blubbering mess on Valentine's day."

"I remember hearing that." Luna felt a small pang of jealousy in her stomach, but pushed the feeling aside.

He looked at Luna and his eyes saddened. "I wish I didn't. It wasn't anything special. I think she just wanted to feel loved, and I was available. I never knew I would lose my virginity to a girl that was crying so much."

"She cried while you two-"

"Yea she did. And no, it wasn't because of my performance."

Luna laughed at him as they finally arrived for dinner. They sat down at the table across from Seamus and Ginny, with Ron next to Luna and Hermione on the other side. Luna noted that Ron had an insanely ridiculous grin on his face, and Luna winked at Hermione. Hermione blushed deeply, busying herself with her chicken.

"How was everyone's day?" Luna asked, looking at her friends.

"Amazing." Ron replied, causing Luna to snicker silently.

"Nothing too special, just hung out with Seamus." Ginny looked at Seamus and grabbed his hand underneath the table. He squeezed it gently and returned to eating. Luckily, Ron didn't notice the intimate moment.

"I think that this afternoon was pretty insane, don't you think?" Seamus said as he looked up at Ron.

"What happened?" Ginny moved her curious eyes between her brother and Seamus.

"Sterling came over and tried to start a fight with all of us. He dragged Luna into it too."

Ginny slammed her fork down on her plate, creating a loud clank. Some people turned around and looked at her, but she composed herself quickly. She took a long deep breath and looked at Luna. "Did he hit you?"

Luna shook her head and said, "He just brought me up in the verbal argument. He didn't actually try to hit me."

Ginny's shoulders instantly eased up and she sighed. She looked at Seamus apologetically and said, "I thought you meant he attacked her."

"More along the lines that she attacked him." Harry said as he reached for the rice bowl. "He had his wand hiding under his sleeve, and Luna sent a shield out to me when he tried to duel."

"And you and me punched him." Ron said happily, his wide smile taking over his face.

"That little fucker." Ginny muttered loudly. "Trying to duel unfairly."

"What happened has happened." Luna brushed off quickly. "No need to fret over it. Fear not for the future, weep not for the past."

"What?"

"It's a quote from Percy Bysshe Shelley... an English poet."

"Oh." Ginny replied, shrugging her shoulders. "That's cool, I guess."

"You're not a reader, are you?" Seamus asked as he smiled at Ginny.

"Not at all."

"He that loves a book will never want a faithful friend, a wholesome counselor, a cheerful companion, an effectual comforter. By study, by reading, by thinking, one may innocently divert and pleasantly entertain himself, as in all weathers, as in all fortunes." Luna stated in a sing song voice.

"Alright enough with the smarty pants quotes." Ginny replied, holding her hand up in a defeated manner. "The sorting hat put you in the right place."

"I wouldn't mind if you were in our house." Harry whispered in her ear. Luna glanced at him and smiled.

"I'm sure you wouldn't." Luna responded, squeezing his hand much like how Seamus did to Ginny before. "Thank you for helping me out back there with Sterling." Luna said to Ron.

Ron peeled his eyes away from Hermione and smiled brightly. "No biggie. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't help my mate's girlfriend out?"

"It meant a lot to me. Since, well, no one usually has defended me."

Everyone seemed to frown at what she said. However, the moment didn't last for long. Ron pulled her in a side hug and joked, "I'll defend you if you'll defend me."

Luna let out a barking laugh and nudged him softly. "With you, that means whenever you're breathing."

Everyone laughed, and Ron pretended to be offended. He shook his head and returned to eating his meat loaf. Everyone looked at each other happily, a sudden feeling of ease and completeness surrounding them. Luna smiled to herself at the peacefulness around them. Thoughts about Harry being mad at her, thoughts of Constantine not being telling her friends about Luna leaving, thoughts of Dominic, thoughts of Natasha's story, and thoughts of the mating ceremony flew out of her mind and all that was left was an immense amount of serendipity.

- - - - - - -

**A/N: I was going to put so much more into this chapter, but I thought it would get insanely too long. It's already long enough, but I will put the things that were originally in this chapter in the story. I purposely made this one longer since I'm going back to school soon, and it will be harder for me to get in time to write a lot. AND I'm sorry it took forever for this one to be posted. I had it finished, but then I went on vacation without my computer. Hope you guys enjoyed this one!**


	13. Game of Chess?

It was exactly two days later when Luna found herself sitting nervously in her Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Ginny was chatting excitedly with a few girls, her smile showing she was happy. Most of the girls, in fact, were acting much like Ginny, all huddled in groups and giggling madly. All the guys didn't share the girls' enthusiasm, reminding Luna much of when she was in first year and Lockheart taught. The boys sat in gloomy positions and eyes glazed over in annoyance. Luna was the only girl not talking excitedly about their new teacher. She was scared shitless.

"Don't look so depressed, Luna. This is going to be the best class ever." A girl that was in Luna's house squealed to her. Luna snorted to herself and turned to people watch again. The girl shrugged her shoulders and began squealing to her friends.

"I'm sure everything will be fine." Ginny said as she took her seat next to her. "He won't pounce on you in front of everyone."

"It's not just him I'm worried about. I'm afraid of what my wolf might try to do." Luna muttered. Dominic walked out of his office quickly and slammed the door loudly, causing all the students to freeze and look up at him. He gave that smile that Luna knew would make girls melt and said gently, "Now that I have your attention, please take your seats."

Luna stole a glance at the girls around her, and saw all of their eyes were glazed with lovely thoughts about Dominic. Luna even heard the girl that talked to her a few moments earlier sigh audibly. He wore emerald green robes that were neatly sewn, but his hair was still.

_'No wonder everyone adores him. He looks like he should be on a magazine cover.' _ Luna thought as she quickly pulled out her book, parchment, and a quill.

"I am Professor Fruma, and as you've guessed, I am your new teacher." He walked over to his desk and picked up a long parchment. He glanced back up to the students and walked closer them. "Since I don't know everyone, I'm going to call role. A simple 'here' will suffice."

Luna sat patiently as he called out everyone's name, waiting for her name to be called. She was thankful that so far he acted as though he never met her. If he did, Luna would have all of these obsessed fan girls coming up to her and asking questions about how she knows him. They'd probably also try to kill her. She already has the latter covered by Lavender and her friends.

"Mary Jane Lanners?" Dominic called, searching for the girl. No one responded at first, until some people began snickering. Luna and Ginny turned around to see the same girl that had talked to Luna still goggling at Dominic, while her partner laughed. Eventually, the partner jabbed the girl in the side, making her come out of her daze.

"I'm here." Mary said, blushing slightly at all the people laughing at her.

"Nice of you to join us today, Lanners." Dominic joked. When Dominic looked back down to the list, Mary turned around and squealed to her partner, who was returning the same enthusiasm. Luna rolled her eyes at them, and Ginny chuckled softly at her.

"Luna Lovegood?" Dominic asked, keeping up the charade of not knowing her.

"Present." Luna said without looking at him, busying herself by flipping through the pages of her textbook.

Dominic moved on in the role rather quickly after her name. When he was finished, he set the paper down and clapped his hands excitedly. "Today's going to be a good day. You would not believe how much I've been counting on having 6th and 7th years. It means we get to do the fun stuff."

Some of the girls giggled annoyingly at Dominic. Luna felt like she was going to vomit at them. Of course, Mary was the loudest of them all. This time, the boys perked up at the thought of doing something 'fun.'

"Now," Dominic began. "We are going to learn a defensive spell. This won't be much like the spells you have learned in past years. It won't be along the lines of Moody, but I'm not going to be an idiot about it... like Umbridge. We will be learning the wild plant spell. Anyone care to tell us what it is?"

Everyone fell silent, either no one knew the answer or no one wanted to talk. Luna figured it was the former, because Luna didn't even know the answer herself. That's coming from a girl who studies for fun.

He looked absolutely adorable as he leaned against his desk, scanning the room with one raised eyebrow. He clicked his tongue against the top of his mouth. "No one knows? I would have been surprised if anyone knew, actually. This spell is a very old one, not commonly used today. This spell, when performed correctly, causes a thick wall of vines to surround your opponent on all sides, forming a tight area where the opponent cannot move at all.

"Most spells won't get rid of the vines easily, and it usually takes awhile for them to disappear with normal magic. For now, you will only learn the actual spell to cast the plants, and then later on we will learn the spell to defeat it. I should mention now when you practice this outside of class, do not use a person as an example. Please use an inanimate object." He picked up the role parchment up again, scanning it quickly until a wide grin formed on his face. "Ginny, is it?"

"Yes, Professor." Ginny said nervously. Luna turned her head slowly to Ginny, her eyebrows high in her scalp and her eyes the size of dinner plates. Ginny never showed nervousness. _Never._ And yet here she was showing it to a 21-year-old werewolf, when she has faced Death Eaters.

"Will you come up here and stand in front of me?"

"Yes, Professor." Ginny said, giving Luna a nervous smile before she got up and walked what seemed like a walk of death for her. Ginny stood in front of him and smiled weakly at him.

He gave another brilliant smile towards her and looked at the class. "Now I'm going to show you an example of the spell, and I will pretend that Ginny is my opponent."

The color in Ginny's face drained quickly, making her red hair be more prominent... if that was possible. Realization dawned on Luna why Ginny was no nervous about being up there with him. Luna sighed and thought, _"Ginny's claustrophobic."_

Dominic stared at Ginny for a few moments before he said, "Actually, let's see if Ginny can perform the spell. Do you think you're up to it?"

Ginny looked completely relieved and smiled brightly. "I think I'm up to it. What's the spell?"

"Torva sero incrementum." Dominic replied, showing her the flicking movement of the wand. "Make sure you start towards the feet, and the raise your wand quickly upward."

Ginny nodded her head sternly, her face showing her concentration. She pointed her wand at Dominic's feet strongly, and stated sternly. "Torva sero incrementum."

Instantly, vines started to sprout from the ground around Dominic. They were a bright green color, seeming too green for a natural plant. They twisted all together and began making their way up around his legs. Ginny lowered her wand and stared in wonder at the plants, her eyes transfixed on the vines. Unknown to her, the vines stopped moving as soon as she lowered her wand. Dominic looked down at the foot high box of vines and started laughing. He lifted one leg and stepped out of the box easily and gave a comical smile to Ginny, "You have to keep your hand moving up in order for the vines to go up too. This is not that effective."

Ginny's cheeks colored slightly as she looked down at her dinky spell. The class began laughing at the plant box. Ginny quickly joined in the laughter, her shoulders shaking with the intensity of her laughter. "Sorry, Professor." Ginny said, clutching her stomach as she continued to laugh. "I was staring at the plants."

"It quite alright. It is a marvelous spell, no?" Everyone nodded their heads in agreement as he continued on. "They are so intricate, these vines. Miss Weasley said the spell correctly, but one thing to remember is to move your hand as quickly as possible, making the vines grow quickly."

Luna scribbled down the notes quickly, making a side note to move wand quickly. Luna looked back up and watched Ginny make her way back to her seat, her face still colored from embarrassment. "I'm such a dork." Ginny whispered to Luna and she pocketed her wand.

"No you're not. It did look really cool though."

"Thanks."

"Does anyone have an idea what the plant is?" Again, all the students shook their heads side to side. Dominic nodded his head and smiled. "This vine is known as Kudzu. There is nothing poisonous or deadly about this plant. It is known for growing quickly and densely, which is probably why this vine is used in this spell. I'm sure you can ask Professor Sprout for more information on this plant if you so desired."

"Can you show us how it's done correctly?" Colin Creevey asked excitedly, his hand twitching to his camera that seemed to be a part of his body.

"Sure thing." Dominic replied as he pointed his wand to a chair near by and yelled. "Torva sero incrementum!" His hand moved in a blur as the Kudzu vine shot up violently from the ground and covered the chair within milliseconds. Everyone gasped at the display, some even making a collective cheer.

"Mine didn't seem that cool, did it?" Ginny asked as she leaned in towards Luna.

"Not at all. Sorry, Gin." Luna stared in wonder at the plant, completely memorized by the huge leaves. The flash on Colin's camera flashed repeatedly. For once, everyone was concentrating on the plant, not on their professor. Luna glanced up at Dominic and studied him for a second. He stood near the vine-covered chair, smiling excitedly at his students. His smile was an infectious one, where you couldn't help but smile when you saw it. She squinted her eyes and looked over the rest of him, seeing if there was anything that made her attracted to him other than the fact he was a male werewolf.

He was physically attractive, yes. That was something she couldn't deny. He would have been worshiped back in the Roman times for his beauty. The brown mop of curls on his head made him adorable, in the sense that it made him look more boyish than man. His eyes seemed to always focus on the person he is speaking to. Luna tilted her head like a curious puppy as a thought entered her head.

_'Why aren't you jumping up and down for him?' _Luna asked her wolf.

_'It would be pointless to even try to do anything with him.'_ It replied smoothly. _'His mind is set on someone else. You wouldn't allow it anyway.'_

Luna was sure she looked insane, since she now had a silly grin on her face. It was as if she had gotten an early Christmas gift. She no longer had to worry about her wolf jumping on him. She couldn't wait to tell Ginny the news, and began taking notes on the new spell.

"Alright, class dismissed for the day. Just remember to practice the spell on an inanimate object." Dominic said after about 30 minutes. Everyone began putting their stuff back in their bags quickly, eager to get out of the class and to practice the spell.

"Were your hormones ablaze today in class?" Ginny teased as soon as they were out of earshot from everyone else.

"Not at all."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." Luna smiled happily and leaned in closer to Ginny. "My wolf said that it wouldn't go for him because he's interested in someone else and that I wouldn't consent to him."

"Wow, that's the first time it has listened to you hu?"

"Yea. Finally. Just in the nick of time too. I didn't want to be pouncing on Dominic and ruin things with Harry."

"Things are getting somewhat serious, aren't they?" Ginny asked seriously as they rounded the corner.

"I guess so." Luna said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Well, your wolf is starting to not advance on guys anymore."

"That was just Dominic though. And plus, it said he was interested in someone else."

"But still, it decided not to go after him. It didn't care when you were with Harry before hand."

Luna looked up and saw Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Seamus walking out of the Charms room, laughing and talking with each other. Luna smiled and glided over to Harry's side, giving a quick peck on the cheek. He instantly wrapped his arm around her shoulders, squeezing it slightly.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter." Luna said.

"Afternoon, Ms. Lovegood." Harry replied with a cheeky smile. "How was class?"

"Great. Everything went on without a hitch."

"What did you guys learn?" Hermione asked as everyone moved off to the side of the hall.

"The torva one." Ginny said with a wave of her hand. "The one that makes the plants grow."

"Oh yea, we learned that one yesterday morning." Ron replied. "Remember how Neville completely engulfed Fruma?"

Seamus snorted and clapped Ron on the back. "I don't think Fruma thought Neville had it in him."

"Neville does like studying plants, so he probably knew the capabilities of that plant." Hermione informed them.

Luna leaned closer into Harry as everyone continued talking. She no longer paid attention to what they were saying; just to Harry's arm around her. Her mind began drifting to thoughts about her and Harry. She couldn't control the smile that played across her face as she thought of their relationship. Sure, life had changed for the better within a few days, but everything seemed very relaxed. Knowing that Luna didn't have to act like a nun made her feel more at ease.

She watched as everyone continued to talk, noticing how everyone had drifted to their significant other. Ron and Hermione simply held hands. The sign of affection suited them, for if it was something more affectionate, it would look odd for them. Hermione's face was normal as she listened to Ginny talk, but her eyes were sparkling as Ron tightened his hold on her hand. Ron obviously couldn't hide his emotions well as a silly grin was plastered on his face.

Seamus stood behind Ginny with his arms wrapped around her waist and his chin resting on her shoulder. Luna observed it was a great pose for a picture, especially when Ginny laughed. Seamus held the permanent grin as he looked at Ginny. Luna eyed Ron out of the corner of her eye, but he either didn't care or didn't notice what was going on with this little sister and Seamus.

"Seamus and Ron talked the other night about Seamus dating Ginny." Harry whispered in her ear, seeming to read her mind.

"Talked, or yelled?" Luna whispered back, trying her best to hold a snicker.

Luna could feel Harry's body shake as he laughed. "Ron yelled for about an hour, but he finally calmed down and listened to Seamus."

"And?"

"Well, Ron decided Seamus was fine enough to date his sister. Though Ron doesn't want them to kiss in front of him, or anything suggestive."

"He's still unnerved about when she said she had sexual needs, isn't he?"

"Of course he is. I wouldn't want to know my sibling was having sex, especially if it was a sister."

"You two done whispering naughty things to each other?" Seamus pointed out, his eyebrows rising questionably.

"No naughty things were exchanged, Seamus." Luna laughed and pushed him slightly in the shoulder.

"Hey, don't get feisty with me because you're no longer suggesting things with Potter over there."

Luna laughed harder, tears falling down her eyes. "You crack me up."

"Glad to be of service, though what I said wasn't that funny."

"I'd just accept that she's laughing _at_ you. After all, it's not that hard to not laugh at you. Just look at that face." Harry remarked, pointing at his face in mock disgust.

"Hardy har har. Watch it there, boy who lived. You might end up being the boy that died due to Seamus."

"Hey I have to go onto Divination. Want to walk me?" Ginny interrupted, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously. Ron tensed up slightly at the action, but Hermione laid a calming hand on his shoulder, and he instantly relaxed.

"Sure thing, love. I'll see you guys later." Everyone chorused their goodbyes to Ginny and Seamus as they walked away towards the tower.

"What classes do you have next?" Luna asked the trio.

"I'm free for about an hour and a half." Harry replied.

"I've got advanced Muggle studies in 10 minutes." Hermione said.

"Remedial Potions." Ron scowled. "Why did Snape think to put me in there?"

"Maybe it was because you never did anything correctly in that class?"

"Hu. Well, who could do anything right, besides you?"

"Well, Harry did something right to be placed in Advanced Potions."

"Trust me, mate. You don't want to be in Advanced Potions." Harry commented sourly. "It's about an hour of more quality time with Snape."

"Ew. Never mind."

"Thought so." Harry smiled at his friend, then glanced down at Luna. "What do you have now?"

"Well I have to go work on a Charms paper for awhile, but them I'm free for the rest of the day. Most of my classes are in the morning."

"Lucky." Ron grumbled. "I would like to have my afternoons free."

"Come on, let's get to class." Hermione lightly shoved her boyfriend along, rolling her eyes playfully. Luna giggled slightly as she made her way towards the library.

"How long do you need to work on your paper?" Harry inquired.

"Not too long, I hope. I just need a few more paragraphs."

Harry nodded his head and continued walking with her. "I'll work on some of my homework with you then."

"You don't have to. It is a beautiful day outside." Luna looked out the window longingly, seeing the bright sun glistening in the lake water, and people walking around enjoying the fall weather.

"Who said we can't work outside?"

"Well, no one..."

"Then it's settled. We're going outside and working on our homework." Harry linked his arm in hers and pulled her towards the door. "Come on. We've been locked up in this castle all day. Fresh air won't do us harm."

"I guess it wouldn't." A large grin formed across her face as she walked outside with Harry. They eventually came to their favorite tree and rested against it. Luna pulled out her Charms book and her parchment and quickly absorbed herself in its contents. Every so often, she would glance up and see Harry either looking at her or zoning out into his own world. She would smile softly every time she looked at him, and every time forgetting about her work.

After writing for 15 minutes straight on the uses of modern charms in today's society, Luna noticed how Harry wasn't working on homework, let alone anything at all. She put her quill down, folded her parchment, and nudged Harry slightly. He quickly came back from his own world and looked at Luna expectantly. "How come you're not working on your homework?"

"I didn't have any."

"Then how come you came with me?"

"Because I wanted to be with you." He brushed his hand up against hers and held it lightly. Luna grinned back at him and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm assuming that you're done with your paper."

"Not really, but it's not due until next week."

"I'm slowly making you a procrastinator." He smiled down at her and leaned his head against the tree. "I've always loved being outside. To me, a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcoming that the most luxurious Persian rug."

"How thoughtful."

"Thanks, though those aren't my own words."

"Oh?"

"This muggle named Helen Keller was the original thinker of that quote. I just remember reading it in a newspaper clipping somewhere when I was younger. It just always stuck with me."

"Well, I like it anyway... even if you didn't think of it." She snuggled closer to him as the breeze began to pick up. "I like being outside too. It's always interesting to study life, you know besides humans. Like to think of that one flower that keeps growing just to be beautiful. And the sun, with all those plants revolving around it and depend upon it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do."

She paused and listened to the wind whistle through the remaining leaves on the tree, and watched the leaves dance around in the wind in front of them. "There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, nor quiet enough, to pay attention to the story."

"What do you think the story is?" Harry asked, his head now leaning against hers.

Luna closed her eyes and thought deeply about what the story was. She inhaled deeply, taking in the bark-scented tree and the earthly grass. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at Harry's emerald ones and said, "What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Harry smiled wildly and brought his cold hands up to her face. "You are so full of innocent knowledge, and that supply is far too slim in our world."

"I try." Luna replied happily. "Your hands are very cold, Golden Boy."

"That would be because we are outside, and it is fairly cold out here, diamond."

"Then maybe we should go inside. It's just a thought."

"Alright, smarty pants, we'll go inside." Harry stood up and offered his strong hands to her. He pulled Luna up with ease, leading her into the toasty castle. "What should we do now?"

"I guess we can go upstairs and hang out. There's nothing really we can do other than that."

"Then off to your room we go!" Harry ran in front of her and did a bell kick on the steps, making Luna double over in laughter. Harry looked back with the easily recognizable Potter mischief glint in his eyes as he waited for Luna to walk next to him.

While they walked, they sat in a comfortable silence that let them have their own time with their minds. Luna thought of random things with each step she took, but then her mind returned to her relationship with Harry.

_'Can we progress in the physical aspect of the relationship?'_ The wolf inside her demanded.

_'It's fairly early in the relationship for that.'_

_'But a few days ago you thought you were ready to move on in the relationship...'_

_'I know what I thought, but I'm not sure if he-'_

_'Of course he's ready, just look at him! He has respected every wish of yours. He has never crossed the line. He pays attention to what you say. He holds a special place in his heart for you. He cares so much for you that he worries about you constantly. I am sure that you two are ready to go into a physical part because you two are emotionally connected.'_

Luna took a glance at Harry, as if he could hear what the wolf was saying. _'How do you know such things?'_

Luna got the feeling that the wolf was annoyed with her as it sighed heavily. _'I am a part of you, you know. I know your thoughts, as you do mine. Since you have been so unsure of yourself about this physical aspect of a relationship, I wanted to convince you that you are ready for this... you both are. This isn't to benefit me, mind you, but more to make you and Harry's relationship stronger.'_

_'Wow, I'm actually surprised that you're not trying to attack other guys.'_

_'Trust me, it has taken a lot of will power from me not to pounce on certain guys. But I have decided to try my best to respect your wishes. We are, after all, one in the same.'_

Luna smiled brightly as a small orb of heat formed in her chest. _'Thank you.'_

"You look very happy." Harry commented as they rounded to the entrance to Luna's room.

"I am very happy. Things are going my way today."

"Glad to hear it."

Luna whispered the password quickly and rushed into her room, Harry following quickly behind her. Luna felt a new wave of confidence pulse in her blood as she looked at Harry happily. "Thank you."

"For what?" Harry asked quizzically, but laughed as Luna came up and hugging him.

"For not pushing me to do anything."

"I told you I would let you make those decisions." Harry said as he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"And that's why I thank you." Luna pulled away from him slightly, looking at him in her favorite position. "I want to move on in our relationship."

A long silence ensued once Luna uttered those words. Luna gulped when she didn't hear a response from him. He stared at her with intense unease for what felt like hours. Luna could see the worry forming on his face. Finally, he cleared his throat and asked, "Are- are you sure about this?"

"Harry, I wouldn't be saying anything if I didn't know if I was ready or not."

Harry nodded his head and gulped in nervousness. "Do you mean right now?"

"Not necessarily," Luna admitted. "It wouldn't be special. I would feel like I put you up to it."

Harry chuckled nervously and cracked a smile. "You wouldn't be putting me up to it. But we won't do it now. I'll make it super special."

Luna smiled and nodded her head. She walked over to her table and pointed at the chess set that was standing neatly. "I challenge you to a game of chess, then."

"You go from talking about doing more stuff in our relationship, to offering a game of chess?"

"Yes." Luna said simply with a twinkle in her eye. "Unless you don't think you're up to par, then -"

"Oh, no. I'm excellent at chess. Let the games begin."

"I call black." Both of them sat down across from each other and began competing in a classic chess game. Luna gave Harry a run for his money as she moved each piece with precision. She waited patiently as he thought furiously for his next move.

After the fifth game, Harry through his fists down in frustration and looked at Luna. "How did you become so good at chess?"

"My mom's favorite game." Luna replied as she watched her queen do a victory dance around the crushed pieces. "She and I played all the time when she was alive. Now Remus and I will play."

"Geeze, you and Ron are practically clones when it comes to chess skills."

Luna smiled happily while Harry cleaned up all the broken pieces and reset the board. A brief memory of Luna and her mom playing chess popped into her mind. She remembered her mom clapping and screaming excitedly when Luna beat her for the first time.

_"What chess teaches us is that we must sit there calmly and think about whether it's really a good idea and whether there are other, better ideas." _Her mom's voice rang through her ears. Luna disappeared into the memory, seeing her 7-year-old self looking up at her mother excitedly. Her mom twirled radish earrings with her finger and held a calming glow about her. _"Don't believe that rubbish that your father said. Men don't dislike it when you beat them at chess by a woman. They love a woman that has a great mind, and the perfect way to show it is beating them at chess."_

"She taught me a lot of things while playing chess." Luna commented as she helped Harry set the pieces in their correct spots. "You can learn a lot about another person from a game of chess."

"Like what?"

"A great mind, and if the other person appreciates it." Luna smirked to herself as she talked. "You can also tell if they're just stupid when it comes to playing chess."

"Are you insinuating that I'm stupid?" Harry said with mock anger, bringing a hand to his hearts and grasping dramatically. "That hurts real deep there."

"Oh hush you big baby." Luna replied as she giggled at him and stood up. "I like dating men rather than babies. I would hate to dump you because of it."

"Alright alright, I'll stop." Harry said as he stood up and made his way over to the bookshelves. He grazed his fingers over the books lightly, causing a small tornado of dust to swirl behind him. Eventually, his fingers stopped on a black covered book with dull grey writing. Pulling it out, he skimmed quickly over the title page and flipped through the pages slowly.

"I know that book by heart." Luna said as she walked softly over to him. "I could recite anything about any creature."

"I'll take that as a challenge." Harry said as he closed his eyes and slammed his finger onto the page. "What's a gorgon?"

"That's what we know Medusa as. There are three of them in total, but we only know of Medusa. The others haven't been found. Lest gorgon rising from the infernal lakes. With horrors armed, and curls of hissing snakes. Should fix me stiffened at the monstrous sight. A stony image of eternal night."

"Pretty good." Harry said with a nod of his head, pushing his glasses up on his nose. He peered over the rims and smiled at her. "How many times have you read this?"

"Hundreds of times." Luna replied as she plopped down on her chair. "I was reading this when you came in my room and cheered me up."

"That's right. You were reading about the maticore."

"Yep. Reading is soothing for me, and that book is so fascinating that I have to read it over and over. I guess that's what got me into looking for the unknown creatures that roam the earth."

Without warning, the doors of Luna's room burst open. Luna immediately jumped off her chair and pulled her wand defensively in front of her. Harry instinctively put himself in front of Luna and through up a shield for them both. Luna peered over Harry's shoulder to notice a very familiar looking brunette hunched over and staring at Luna with scared and teary eyes.

The girl straightened herself up and ran her hands through her hair and looked at the two frightfully and nervously before she spoke. "My mom has leukemia." Constantine said as she broke into fresh tears and fell to the floor.

Luna stared at Constantine, not knowing what her mother has. Was it an infection? A new breed of animal? She had no idea. However, Harry rushed to her side and held her up, moving her towards the chair. He brought over a blanket to her and wrapped her around it comfortingly. "Is she going to get chemo?"

"No." Constantine choked. "She doesn't want to live like that."

Harry hung his head in silence, as Luna stood awkwardly in front of them. Even though she knew nothing of this leukemia, Luna could tell that it was very bad, whatever it was. She walked slowly up to Constantine and dropped to her knees, resting her small hands on Constantine's hands.

"It's a disease that destroys the white blood cells in your body, making it impossible to fight of any type of illness." Harry whispered to Luna, probably knowing Luna had no idea of what it is. "It's a huge muggle cancer that kills many people. Wizards are immune to it."

Luna frowned even more as Harry continued telling her about leukemia. She thought about all the hateful comments she had said the past two days, and even the doubt she had for her friend being a real friend. Luna's grasp tightened as she leaned her head against Constantine's and let her friend cry against her.

- - - - - - - - -

**A/N: I am SO sorry for not posting anything up for like ever. I have been insanely busy for the past weeks and it has been nearly impossible for me to write anything. Things should be slowing down somewhat around here, but it may take me a little longer to write another chapter. Anyways, reviews are always nice... and I hope you guys liked the chapter!! :) **


	14. Stress Relief

Luna sighed heavily as she closed the door to her room and made her way down to an early breakfast. With small bags under her eyes and frizzy hair, Luna practically dragged her school bag over her shoulder. Her legs felt like a ton of bricks as she lifted the dead weight with each step. It only had been a mere week since Constantine came back, and already Luna was completely disheveled.

Luna had been in Constantine's room every night and day, trying to make Constantine's life a little more tolerable. Nothing, as of yet, seemed to be working. She refused to go to any of her classes, and luckily Dumbledore allowed her to miss two weeks of class. She was a shell of what she used to be, sitting with either a blank look or she would burst out into fresh tears. Luna tried her best to help Constantine with the news, but Luna knew she couldn't understand. After all, Luna lost her mom when she was nine at a time when she didn't fully understand what death meant. Constantine was loosing her when she was almost seventeen. Constantine had more memories to remember, which ultimately makes it harder.

Luna finally made it to the Grand Hall and immediately sat herself down next to Ginny. She quickly spooned some scrambled eggs on her plate.

"You look like hell." Ginny commented.

"I stayed in Constantine's room until three this morning." Luna mumbled as she forced her eyelids to stay up, instead of succumbing to sleep.

"Is she doing better?"

"I thought so, but apparently I was wrong." Luna swallowed her mouthful of eggs and started getting a small plate of fruit. She sipped on her milk and began looking over her notes.

"You didn't study for Dark Arts?" Ginny questioned shockingly, her eyes wide and her mouth ajar. "You always go over your notes before the next class."

"I had no time to study." Luna said exhaustedly. "I told you, I was in Constantine's room until three." Luna sighed loudly as she grabbed her bag, along with assorted food, and stood up. "I have to go see if she's going to go to class today. I'll see you in class."

"Alright." Ginny said softly as Luna made her way out the door and towards the Ravenclaw dormitories. Luna slowed down once she was in the hall and leaned against the stonewall. How wonderful sleep sounded, but there was no chance of sleep right now. She was already thinking about skipping her first two classes to be with Constantine.

_'Lack of sleep makes you very cranky and unsociable, you know.'_ Her wolf sternly informed her.

_'I know, but I need to cheer Constantine up. She's completely miserable.'_

_'You can't just forget about everyone else.'_

"How about you just leave me alone?" Luna said forcefully out loud. Luna scanned the wall with panic, but felt some relief when no one was there to hear her.

_'If that's what you want, fine. I won't comment any further. Let this be a lesson learned then. When you're imbalanced with me, you will feel very poorly.'_

Luna could feel herself steadily getting worse, the dead weight feeling in her stomach rising to a new time high. She could feel herself hunch over in exhaustion. "Come on, please don't do this to me!" Luna stomped her foot in frustration as no response came. "Fine, be that way."

Luna struggled up the steps as her body refused to cooperate with her. She made it up to the first flight of stairs before she really felt nauseated. She grabbed her stomach as if it would help her as she leaned against the rail. She closed her eyes and frowned as she concentrated on getting up the steps. Eventually, she made it up the flight of the steps and near the Ravenclaw entrance. Pulling herself together as much as she could, she solved the riddle quickly and marched up the stairs to the 6th year girls' room. She opened the door softly, a faint creek disturbing the previous silence. Luna poked her head in and examined the room quickly. All the blue and brown beds were empty and made, except for one lone bed with the drapes closed. Luna sighed and tip toed over to Constantine's bed and sat in the wooden chair that she had slept on just a few hours before.

Luna pulled the drapes back to see Constantine fast asleep. Her hair was spread out wildly against the sheets, already filled with a bunch of knots. Luna smiled as she thanked Merlin that she was finally sleeping. Luna pulled up the bunched up sheets and draped them over Constantine's sleeping form. Constantine curled the blankets around her body and formed a small ball as she continued sleeping. Luna pulled out the food from her bag and set it on Constantine's nightstand quietly. With one last look at Constantine, Luna closed the drapes and left for her Charms class.

Luna began the trek to Charms when she felt her legs begin to take her in another direction. Luna looked at her legs curiously, then frantically tried to get herself to stop moving. She heard a low chuckle in the back of her mind. Luna rolled her eyes and stopped struggling.

_'There. You forgot that I could do this, didn't you?' _ Her wolf said triumphantly.

_'Yes, and I know there's no use in fighting it because you won't let me have control anyway.' _ Luna retorted angrily.

_'Don't get your panties in a twist. You'll soon thank me when you're sleeping.'_

Luna relaxed as her body rushed to her room. Luna said the password to her room quickly and practically sprinted to her dresser. Throwing her school robes on the floor, Luna jumped into her warm fuzzy pajamas. Luna lowered herself on her bed and felt herself instantly fall asleep. As she slept, the sudden thought of Natasha popped into her head. _"Poor girl," _Luna thought sadly. _"She has to go through the mating ceremony soon. After what happened to her... I don't think I could go through with it."_ Luna frowned in her sleep, images of what happened to her popping in her head. She saw a scared Natasha cowering in the corner, her violator standing above her triumphantly. She imagined Natasha crying uncontrollably as he grabbed her and forced himself upon her. Luna could feel herself audibly whimper in her sleep. She forced herself to push the thoughts out of her head as she began thinking of random things that would cheer her up.

Luna had lost all sense of time when she woke up with a start. Rubbing her eyes slowly, she sat up and tossed the covers off. The clock next to her bed told her it was 6 o'clock. Luna put her arms above her head in a long stretch, when she recognized a pure white owl sitting upon her windowsill.

"Good afternoon, Hedwig." Luna said brightly as we glided over to the majestic owl. Hedwig gave a quick chirp and stuck her leg out obediently. Her golden eyes watched Luna as she unwrapped the letter that was attached to her leg. Luna ruffled Hedwig's feathers and tossed an owl treat, which Hedwig caught easily. Luna unraveled the letter and began reading:

_Next time you decide to disappear for the day, let me know where you went. It would be helpful now to open your door and to find me. _

_Since, you know... your door is locked._

_Love,_

_Golden Boy_

A loud chuckle escaped Luna's mouth. She tossed the letter on her bed and quickly put on a pair of slacks and a green t-shirt. Luna fiddled with what little make up she had to get rid of the small circles under her eyes. Glancing in the mirror and deeming herself satisfactory, she put on her sneakers and walked outside.

Luna walked swiftly through the empty hall. She listened to the patter of her feet against the floor. A hand landed on her shoulder slowly and soothingly. "Nice try, Harry. I know you like to sneak up on me."

"Guess again." A familiar voice said. Luna stopped walking and felt the pit of her stomach drop to the ground. She felt a thumb rub her shoulder soothingly. She prayed silently that this wasn't who she thought it was, but as she turned around, her prayer failed miserably.

"Back off, Sterling." She replied venomously.

"Long time no see, dear Luna." Sterling said, ignoring her comment.

"I told you to leave me alone." She pulled back slightly so that his hand fell back to his side like dead weight. Sterling looked taken aback for a second, but recovered his powering demeanor.

"You have some guts in you now." His sickening grin made Luna's stomach turn. "All the more reason to adore you."

"You don't adore me, Sterling. You just want to fuck me and then move on to the next bimbo." Luna said angrily, surprising herself with the language that she emitted. Her wolf stirred angrily inside of her.

"You have no idea how I think of you." Sterling slowly said, his voice full of seriousness. He clenched his fists and his voice filled with anger. "Don't you dare assume that I would treat you like a slut."

Luna's eyes got wide. She unconsciously took a step back, examining him oddly. Never had a guy proclaimed such an emotional side to her, save Harry. That certainly wasn't the answer that she expected to get from him. She studied him quickly, noting that she probably would have found him somewhat attractive if he wasn't constantly pursuing her. Luna's worry rose slightly as she recognized she saw a sign of weakness in him. It takes a lot to show that weakness, and Luna felt bad for him. She stopped her thoughts quickly. Was she pitying him?

"I'm sorry." She said meekly.

His eyes bore into hers for a few moments, seemingly getting brighter as each moment passed. Luna felt odd underneath his gaze, hoping that he didn't think that by submitting to an apology meant that he was getting closer. "I knew you'd understand." He finally said, taking a step towards her.

Luna cursed herself again, realizing that the look he was giving her glowed with admiration and triumph. She glanced along the hall in hopes for someone to be there, but already knowing there wasn't. She frowned more as she looked back at Sterling. He eyes caught on a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy and the many trolls standing about. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest at its sight. Luna turned around and gave a pure face of terror. Making her voice quiver, she stared past Sterling and stuttered. "Professor Snape?"

With Sterling's face blank and turning behind him. Luna made a mad dash behind the tapestry, hoping that someone already had the door open. Luckily for her, there was a plain black door on the wall, allowing Luna to sneak in the treasured and well-hidden Room of Requirement. Luna leaned against the door and closed her eyes, letting a sigh of relief escape her lips.

"Luna?" With a start, Luna opened her eyes to see Harry standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. "What are you doing here?"

She blinked a few times and glanced around the room, noticing the many books lined against the walls, and a table full of papers. Luna looked back at him and remembered his question, responding quickly, "Hiding out from Sterling."

"Did he do anything to you?" Harry said worriedly, taking two strides to put a gentle hand on her upper arm.

"Nothing that I can't handle." Luna replied smoothly. "What are you doing here?"

Harry wrapped his arm around Luna's shoulder as he spoke. "It's research on dark magic."

"Why?" Luna said softly, her voice shrinking as her heart stopped in fear. Something about him studying the magic that has killed innocent people and tormented the minds of brilliant people scared her.

"You need to know how your enemy works in order to defeat him." His arm left her shoulder. He sat back down at the table and picked up some of the papers. "I need to know how to protect myself and others for when Voldemort decides to have the final battle."

"Are you going to use any of it against him?"

Harry looked up at her, something behind his eyes that Luna couldn't decipher. He removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm not going to resort to his magic, Luna. I'm not that dumb." There was a bite in his voice that stung Luna slightly, but she ignored it.

"I know you're not." Luna replied.

He sighed loudly. He got a hold of her hand and rubbed her hand with is thumb. "I'm sorry. I've... I've just been stressed lately. Everything has to work out."

He stayed silent for a long time, brooding in his own thoughts. Luna pulled up a chair next to him. He stared at the sheet that was in front of him, barely recognizing the sheet was there. He lowered his head onto the table. She watched him stay in that position for a long time. She reached across the table and held his hand gently. His head rose slowly and he made eye contact with her. His eyes looked exhausted and worried. Luna gave an affectionate smile and squeezed his hand. Harry gave her a weak smile, and moved his thumb across her skin. Neither one said a word. They continued sharing an unspoken comfort as Harry continued working, and Luna sitting beside him working on a letter to Natasha.

- - -

"I can't wait for Christmas!" Hermione said as she watched Luna and Ginny work on homework in Luna's room.

"I completely forgot about Christmas." Luna placed her quill down and rubbed her temple.

"That's not that hard to see, you've been worrying about Constantine like no other." Ginny replied.

"Her mother's dying, Ginny." Luna said crossly.

"I understand that, Luna." Ginny's cheeks began flushing in the traditional Weasely anger. "She may be dying, but there's nothing you can do about it."

Luna felt as if she could explode in anger, feeling her eyes turning into stone. "So do you want me to just go on my merry way and forget that her mother's dying?"

"Hey now." Hermione said, scooting closer to the girls and placing a calming hand on Luna. "Let's not get into a fight, alright? Christmas is only a few weeks away after all."

Luna kept her stone gaze with Ginny for a few more seconds before she went back to work on her transfiguration homework. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. As she wrote, Luna began feeling worried. She never expected to get so angry with Ginny, especially since Ginny had always been kind to her. She just couldn't _understand_ why Ginny was getting angry about Luna's time with Constantine. Was it because Ginny was jealous? Luna doubted it, but for some reason, the thought lingered in her mind.

A knock sounded on her door, startling Luna. When Luna looked up, she saw that Ginny was still looking at her, but with hurt in her eyes. Luna was taken aback, but chose to ignore it as she stood up and opened the door.

"Harry." Luna said happily, glad to have him to keep her mind on other things.

"Hey sweet heart." Harry said giving her a warm hug. "I just thought we could spend some time together this evening, but I see that you're already busy."

"No she's not." Hermione replied, grabbing Ginny's upper arms and gathering her stuff. "We can meet up later on tomorrow."

Ginny nodded her head and said a simple "Yea."

Luna smiled at Hermione and mentally thanked her. "I'll talk to you guys later."

"See you later!"

As soon as the door closed, Harry planted his lips upon Luna's in a hungry kiss. "I'm glad I noticed other people were in here, or else we would have been in an awkward situation."

Luna smiled and rubbed her hands on his chest. "So what did you have in mind for tonight?"

"Well," Harry began. "I can tell that you've been feeling under the weather about Constantine, so I thought I could make things a little more relaxing for you."

"How thoughtful."

"I thought so." Harry led her over to the bed and had her sit on the edge. "Now you get to have a lovely massage from me." Harry climbed behind her and put his legs on either side of Luna.

"You really don't have to."

"I know I don't have to. I want to. Now not another word and relax." Luna did as she was told as she felt his strong hands begin to rub her shoulders. Luna felt her eyes close as he worked on the many knots in her back. She sat like that for several minutes, enjoying how his hands worked wonders on her back. His hands eventually worked down to her lower back, making Luna hunch over slightly. A new feeling started to develop in her nether regions, since her back was always her weakness. A very soft moan escaped her lips, and it didn't go unnoticed.

"Like what I'm doing?" Harry teased.

"Very much so." Luna said as she straightened up and turned to look at him. "You know exactly what to do."

"I try." He replied with a hint of smugness. He grinned as she brought her lips to his. They kissed for a long time before Luna began feeling something different. It wasn't an emotional feeling by no means, but something physically began nudging her. Luna broke apart from Harry and looked at him quizzically. She noticed his slightly annoyed look in his eyes, though most of it was dominated with lust.

Eventually, Luna took a swift glance down and noticed what had been nudging her. Her cheeks burned a blazing red as she saw his arousal through his pants. Sure, she felt the arousal once with Fred, but she didn't notice it that much. In Harry's case, she felt it a lot.

Harry paid no attention to his erection as he pulled her into another passionate kiss. She turned to face him, and sat herself more towards his knees as to not touch _it_ since she had no idea what the hell to do with it. She felt Harry's hands pull her closer to his body, ultimately making Luna graze against him. Both of them let out a gasp, Harry's in pleasure and Luna's in shock. Harry opened his eyes to see a very shocked Luna looking down. He let out a small chuckle and asked, "What's wrong?"

Luna shook her head, still keeping a shocked look. "Nothing's wrong. It's just..."

"What?"

"I never thought it would be so hard." Luna said naively. She didn't know how hard it would get, but she didn't think it would get _that_ hard.

Harry let out another laugh and smiled at Luna. "You've never seen a guy naked, have you?" Luna shook her head and a blush of embarrassment caressed her cheeks. "Well, that's going to change eventually, Luna."

Luna smiled shyly. "I hope so."

"Hope so? You say it as if it's not going to happen."

Luna's smile got broader as she thought of the ultimate joke. "Well, it depends if I can actually see it."

Harry immediately got the joke, and shook his head. "You're asking for it, diamond."

"That's the point, golden boy."

He pulled her even closer to him, having her completely against him. she suppressed a moan as she highly enjoyed the sensations that were going through her body. "I think you'll be able to notice it."

A sudden thought crossed her mind. Hermione had said that she just dove in and did it, making her and Ron feel more connected. Luna thought for a few more seconds before she decided she was going to initiate the next step. She pulled Harry in a quick kiss before she moved her hips slowly as if she was dancing with him. She felt him gasp against her lips and he moaned loudly. She got off his lap after a few swifts movements and began undoing his pants.

"Whoa." Harry said as he scooted back from her. She looked up, startled that he was moving away from him. "What are you doing?"

"I thought you'd like it." Luna said, utterly confused about what she did wrong.

"It's not that, it's... are you sure about this? I don't want to pressure you into anything."

She smiled kindly at him. "You put no pressure on me. I came to the conclusion that I wanted to do this. Remember? And plus, I'm not going all the way."

"If you're sure." Harry said as he looked at her. She unzipped his pants slowly, now only the black fabric of his boxers blocking her from her first time seeing him. She took a quick glance at Harry, seeing him looking worried. She gave him a warm smile before she moved the fabric away.

It's not something you would say that looked pretty. It wasn't something that she expected. Then again, she didn't know what to expect. It stood in front of her, veins protruding in some places. It was much larger than she expected, though she had no idea if Harry was abnormally big or not. A thought ran through her mind about how on earth would it fit, but she pushed it aside since they weren't at that part of their relationship yet.

Luna took her small hand and slid a finger down its length, earning a long gasp escaping his lips. She smiled seductively as she continued this action. She encased her hand around the base, and held a somewhat firm hold. She started moving her hand up and down uncertainly. His breathing became heavier with each stroke of her hand. Luna saw him reach for his wand and mutter a spell, causing a slick substance to be on his manhood.

"Lube." Harry said quickly, then giving a moan shortly after. Luna nodded her head and kept moving her hand up and down, hoping that what she was doing was correct. Luna began speeding up as she saw his breathing getting faster. His hands gripped her bed sheets tightly. He groaned loudly as his body shook. Unexpectedly for Luna, his seed began coming out on her hand. Luna stopped shortly after. She grabbed a tissue and cleaned up her hand. Harry stood up and zipped his pants up and watched Luna.

A naive thought crossed Luna's mind as she looked back at him. "Did- I mean, was it okay?"

Harry walked over to her and kissed her deeply before saying, "It was brilliant, Luna. If anything, you put more pressure on me to be as great for you."

_"I can't wait for the day he repays the favor."_ Her wolf purred in her head, causing Luna to smile even more.

**A/N: I am so sorry for not posting this earlier. There will be another chapter added fairly soon just in time for Christmas. I don't know how I feel about this chapter. Tell me what you think?**


	15. Betrayal

**A/N: Here's a new chapter just before the New Year. See, I told you guys I would have one up soon :)**

Christmas break started the next day, making Christmas only a week and a half away. Luna still hadn't gotten Harry anything, nor her friends. Luna figured she would have time to shop within the coming days of solitude she would have at her house.

This time, the Order would not be permanently staying at her house, as most of them will be with there families. Her house will be used for the occasional meeting, but only Luna and Remus would be staying. Remus sent an owl just the day before explaining how he wants to go into more detail about the mating ceremony itself. Luna agreed, knowing that she would need to learn more as soon as she could.

Her and Harry took the next step only a few days ago. Since then, Luna hasn't seen much of him. She has been busying herself with Constantine and her schoolwork. Hermione and Ginny seemed to be so far from Luna, and Luna knew it was her fault. Deep down Luna honestly admitted that concentrating solely on Constantine isn't the healthiest thing for her to do, but the over-caring side of Luna just wants to make everything okay.

Luna stretched out in her chair, letting her books and paper fall to the floor. She took a sip of her hot chocolate that she conjured and let the warmth trickle down her throat. She stared at the lapping flames of the fire, deep in thought about her life. She chewed on her lower lips, a habit she inherited from her mom when she was worried.

She had a lot to be worried about, honestly. The upcoming war, her mating ceremony, her friendships being strained. They all took its toll on Luna. She wouldn't admit it to her friends nor Harry. He didn't need to be more worried now. She'll just shove it to the back of her mind and be stubborn about it, another trait she inherited from her father.

An owl tapped on the window loudly, causing Luna to jump slightly. The owl, with its dark grey feathers, was an owl she hadn't seen before. As soon as she took the letter attached to its leg, the owl screeched and flew out of the room. Luna shrugged her shoulders and looked down at the letter. The neat handwriting clearly stated Luna's name. She opened it slowly and began reading:

_Dear Luna,_

_It's so great to hear from you! It has been entirely too long. Things certainly sound good for you over at school. The mating ceremony hasn't occurred yet. We still have a few weeks left until it happens. I'm not entirely sure if I want to be a part of it yet, but I still have another year to decide who I will have as a mate. Is Dominic adjusting well? I'm sure he is a great teacher...not! I only joke, I promise. You should come back to the tribe soon, and maybe we can continue talking about the all the stuff you'll be going through. It's great that we're going through this at the same time. We can laugh like little kids at all our embarrassing encounters. Well, I have to go help Madara with rounding up the pups, but please write back soon!_

_Much Love,_

_Natasha_

Luna smiled brightly once she finished. She immediately grabbed her quill and wrote a lengthy letter back to Natasha. After a few minutes of writing, Luna deemed it fit to be mailed. She put on her heavy purple winter coat and began walking to the owlery. She made sure her footsteps were especially quiet since it was after hours, and she didn't need to get in trouble the day before winter break. She rounded the second floor when she felt something stroke her face. She stopped, utterly confused at what happened, since no one was around her. She turned around quickly, but there was nothing there. Eventually, she heard a chuckle to her left. She saw the head of her boyfriend floating in the air, giving her a mischievous smile.

"Why are you out so late, Miss Lovegood?" Harry whispered as his head continued to bob around in the air.

"Where in the world is the rest of your body?" Luna stammered, honestly worried about his well-being.

He looked down and laughed softly, his body suddenly appearing. In his hands was a shiny fabric that glistened in the dimly lit hall. "This," he said, indicating to the fabric, "was my dad's invisibility cloak."

"Wow." Luna walked over and ran her fingers over the insanely soft fabric. "I've never seen one before."

"Well, they are invisible..." Harry began, a playful glint in his eye.

Luna shot him a glare before saying. "That was a mean trick to play. Stroking my cheek like that. What if I turned and hexed you?"

He shrugged his shoulders and replied. "It was a risk I was willing to take. You are too beautiful not to touch." Luna's cheeks blazed with color. Harry quirked an eyebrow, and his eyes showed he was happy with her reaction. "Where are you off to at this time of night?"

"Going to mail a letter to Natasha. What about you?"

"Went to the kitchen to get some food. I'll walk you to the owlery if you want."

"That would be nice."

"Here, we have to get under this." He pulled Luna close and threw the cloak over both of them. "We have to stay close, since this cloak isn't made for two people."

"I'm sure that's what you had planned when you suggested we use this." Luna said, noticing that her back was completely pressed against him. His arms were wrapped around her waist, and his head rested upon her head.

"It has its advantages." He said before they started making their way to the owlery. "It's good to see you again."

Luna sighed and said, "I'm sorry for not seeing you since then. I've just been so busy."

"I understand. You are a really good friend to Constantine. She may not seem to appreciate it now, but she will in time. Just... just don't forget about everyone else, or yourself."

"How are Hermione and Ginny?"

"They're good. They are worried about you, as am I." He said slowly. He paused for a few seconds before continuing. "Promise me you'll try to think about yourself during the break, and not completely fret over Constantine."

"I promise." Luna replied half-heartedly, knowing that she would probably write her everyday and try to see her just as much. She had a feeling that Harry knew too, but he didn't voice it.

"I hope you're ready for Christmas, because I have a special surprise for you."

"Oh really?" Luna felt her brain remind her to go buy something for Harry as soon as she got home. "Is it something edible?"

"Nope. And no guessing either."

"Why not?"

"Never let a woman know what you're going to give her. Always keep her guessing."

"I believe I'm having an influence on you, if you keep bringing up these quotes. But in the words of Mae West, 'don't keep a woman guessing too long - she's sure to find the answer somewhere else'."

"Going to Ron isn't going to help. No one knows what I got you."

"I do love surprises." Luna admitted, snuggling in closer to him.

"That's the whole point, my dear." They walked in silence, eventually finding Hedwig and sending her off with the letter. They stayed still for a few moments after Hedwig flew away and stared at her slowly disappearing form. Harry turned Luna towards him and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead. She smiled up happily at him, enjoying the small sign of affection.

"Are you a romantic?" Luna asked, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I would like to think so, but you would have to be the judge of that." Harry replied. "We probably should get back. This isn't exactly my ideal location of being romantic."

"Where are we going to go?" Luna asked, feeling the coolness of the cloak envelop her.

"Maybe my room? You haven't been in there before."

Luna was shocked that she hadn't been in there before. Every time they went somewhere, it was usually her room. "I would love to. No funny business." She replied, pointing a finger at him as they walked.

"Wasn't planning on it unless you asked." He replied, giving her hand a small squeeze. They walked in a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company. Harry began pulling her towards the Gryffindor dorm. Off in the distance, Luna and Harry heard two people talking. Harry stopped dead in his tracks and turned them towards the conversation.

"What are you doing?" Luna hissed as they began nearing the people.

"That's Mafloy's voice." He said dangerously low. "They could be talking about Voldemort." Luna stopped talking, knowing that Harry wanted to snoop on the conversation. He rushed them into one of the classrooms. Harry opened a closet door and snuck them in. He took off the cloak and cracked the door slightly. Luna peered through the crack as Harry put his head on top of hers, also peering through the crack.

As if on cue, the people came walking into the classroom. Luna instantly recognized the platinum hair of Draco. When Luna saw the other person, her mouth dropped open in complete and utter shock. There before her was Constantine, looking at Draco lustfully.

"Now, where were we?" Constantine said as she pulled Draco closer to her. "Ah yes, this." She gave him a soft kiss and began undoing his shirt.

If Luna's mouth could drop further, it would be in hell. She was sure Harry's reaction was just the same. They stood awkwardly, Luna eventually turning her face away to see Harry staring in horror. "Did you know about this?" He stuttered.

"No idea." Luna replied. "I guess this was who her secret admirer was."

They both looked at each other before they tried busying themselves with other things. As Luna braided her hair, the sudden thought of how full of life Constantine seemed. Just that morning she talked about how she wanted to world to end, and here she was making out with Draco. She furrowed her brows, not seeing a logical reason as to why she would be lusting after Draco at an emotional time like this.

"What's this?" Draco said angrily. "When?"

Luna and Harry both rushed to the crack in the door, seeing a now shirtless Constantine in front of Draco. Her back was to them, which Luna silently thanked the Gods for.

"I thought it would make you happy." Constantine said icily. Luna was completely shocked with that tone. Constantine never resorted to such tones with people, no matter how angry she was. She frowned as she watched Constantine rip herself away from Draco and began putting her shirt back on.

"I told you not to do it." Draco said with a hint of disappointment in his voice. It didn't go unnoticed by Luna and Harry, who looked at each other with amazement.

"Well, you don't rule my life, now do you?"

"You know I didn't want you to do this. You... you didn't do this because of me, did you?"

Constantine stopped what she was doing and turned to Draco. She walked over to him and stroked his face slowly. "I did it because I wanted it, Draco. You have no idea how long I have waited to do this. It took me years to just to have the opportunity. I know how much you don't like it, Draco, since it was forced upon you. But I chose this willingly. I won't be returning to the school after the break."

Luna inhaled sharply, feeling her heart crack ever so slowly. Harry's hand rubbed her arms in comfort. Her first friend at Hogwarts was going to leave her. Sure, she wouldn't be alone, but her first best friend ever was leaving. Luna figured it was because of her mom, and she understood that. Constantine would want to spend her mom's last days with her.

"Does Luna know?" Draco asked softly.

Constantine smiled softly. "No, not yet. I will probably tell her through a letter. She's not going to be happy about it, but at least she won't know the truth, not yet at least."

Luna's ears perked up. _'The truth?'_ Luna thought, her mind swirling with shock. _'I know the truth about her mom. I was one of the first people she told.'_

"What do you mean, the truth?" Draco said, more anger filling in his voice. "You lied to her? I thought you two never kept secrets."

"This isn't something you just tell, Draco. You, of all people, should understand." Constantine replied, the bitterness from before returning. "I've found my true calling. She won't understand that. She's in the wrong!"

Luna's mind kept on swirling, but she noticed how tense Harry became. He obviously understood what they were talking about, but Luna was still confused as ever. He looked down at her sadly and gripped her even more. Luna could feel tears in her eyes, though she couldn't understand why. Whatever was happening was horrible, that much she knew.

"She's always with him. She's not letting her mind _think_ about what is right. She's a Black for crying out loud! She should know better."

"You're sounding like them." Draco said sternly. "When did you change?"

"I changed awhile ago."

"You're obviously not the person I thought you were."

"I'm not the sweet, innocent, pathetic little girl you thought I was. All that shit was just an act, so no one knew how I felt. I'm an asset. I'm so close to them. I'm perfect to the cause. I'm the mean, cynical, and powerful girl that knows where her allies lie." Constantine got up in his face, each word coming out of her mouth like venom. Draco bowed his head, and Luna started feeling uneasy. Constantine raised the sleeve on her right arm to reveal the Dark Mark.

Luna felt her knees give way as Harry wrapped his arms around her waist. Luna's eyes went blurry as the flood of tears hit her. She bit her lip to prevent herself from crying out loud. She held onto his arm with white knuckles. He pulled her closer to him for support. His body felt tense around her. She could tell he was angry. Luna was beyond angry. She was a mixture of every horrible feeling.

"Maybe I'll be able to convert Luna. Say that it's the only way my _mother_ will survive if we join, even though she's perfectly healthy. Good thing Luna doesn't know that."

That seemed to be the final straw for Luna. Without processing what she was doing, she barged out of the closet and sent the first curse to pop up in her mind at Constantine. Constantine and Draco had no time to react as Luna covered Constantine in vines. Draco stepped to the side and stared. Harry walked out shortly after and grabbed hold of Draco. He never struggled under Harry's grasp.

Constantine was fighting with all her might to break out of the vines, but to no avail. Luna walked up to her slowly. Constantine's eyes grew wide with a glance at Luna. Within milliseconds, Constantine had changed from being scared of Luna, to pinning the whole situation on Draco.

"Oh Luna, thank god you got here! _He _was brainwashing me into saying all those things. He made me join!"

"How could you?" Luna said slowly with anger dripping off each word. "I heard every goddamn thing you said."

The room stood still with tension. Luna surprised herself with her anger, but kept her stone face on Constantine, watching her struggle with what to do next.

"I did what was right." She finally replied. "Harry won't win this war, Luna. Please, just join and you will be safe. I don't want you to get hurt."

Luna thought long and hard about the options that were laid out in front of her. There was no possible way she was going to join Voldemort. Instead, she thought about what were her options of Constantine. She could turn her in and let her be arrested, or she could let her go and pray she doesn't die. Her heart was shattering as she continued thinking. She looked at the girl that had been there for Luna for years. She was there when she found out about Sirius, she was there when she had no one else, she was there when her heat transitions began. Constantine was her everything for years, and now Constantine was nothing to her. With a heavy sigh, Luna pointed her want and blasted the classroom door, and sent out red sparks shoot out of the classroom.

"What are you doing?" Constantine hissed, her eyes pleading.

"Draco's right." Luna said slowly. "You're not the same person we thought you were. Filch should be here soon. I'm going to tell him everything you said." Luna turned around and observed Draco. His eyes were also stone like hers. He looked at Luna curiously, his brow furrowing. Behind the layers he had built, Luna could see how hurt he truly was. Luna nodded her head at him, seeming to have an understanding on how hurt he was. He cocked his head to the side, probably confused with Luna's actions. His eyes eventually went back to the way he always looked at her, indifferently.

"What is going on here?" Filch yelled, hobbling in with his cat in toe.

"We need to see Dumbledore, now." Harry said, removing the spell on Constantine and grabbing her roughly. "We have something that he would like to know."

"Yer right yer going to see Dumbledore. After pulling off that stunt." Filch said as he grabbed Luna and started pulling the group to Dumbledore's office. Everyone was silent except for Filch muttering to himself. Luna walked numbly along, no longer feeling anything. She _couldn't_ feel anything. She barely paid attention as they reached his office. She didn't register anything they said. She watched as Harry angrily recounted the events that happened only moments ago, and Constantine pleading with Dumbledore. Her eyes felt dull as she looked back and forth between the people in front of her. She saw Dumbledore looking at her with concern a few times, but she never said a word.

She felt Harry pull her away as Draco and Constantine stayed in Dumbledore's office. Luna didn't bother holding her head up as she let Harry steer her wherever they were going. She didn't notice Harry saying a password, nor walking through the Gryffindor common room. She watched Harry open a door and lead her to his bed. They both crawled in as Harry closed the curtain and saying a silencing spell.

Luna was sitting on the edge of his bed, while Harry had his back up against the headboard. She drew her legs up against her chest and rested her head against her knees. She began noticing how her body was reacting to her feelings. Her eyes were burning from all the crying, her arms and legs still shaky from her anger. Her breathing was slowing down, though Luna had no idea that it had sped up. Her heart beat was ringing in her ears. She still had a white knuckle grip on her wand. She let go of it and sat it in front of her. She stared at it oddly, knowing that she used it against her former friend. The spell had done it's objective, but Luna felt a difference in the spell. The vines were so different from when Dominic showed it to her class. The vines, Luna now noticed, were harsher, black in color. It scared her to think that came out of her.

"Talk to me, Luna." Harry said slowly, sounding more concerned than ever. Luna looked up and noticed how worried he looked. His eyes bore into her and showed the amount of worry he held. His skin had lost some of his color. His eyebrows seemed stuck in a permanent scowl. His mouth was a thin line. His body was rigid and tense. His hands were in fists.

Luna opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her throat closed up tightly. Her wolf cried as she began feeling emotionally, and Luna could feel the fresh wave of tears. She bit the inside of her mouth to prevent from crying. An emptiness entered her chest that was painfully sharp and noticeable. A strangled whimper escaped her lips as she felt the lowest of lows.

"It's okay to cry." Harry said as he pulled her closer to him, so that she was sitting in his lap. She hid her face in his shoulder as she cried like she never cried before. All the while Harry rubbed her back comfortingly. After crying for what seemed like forever, Luna finally spoke.

"Can I sleep here?" Luna croaked, her voice raw.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He said as they moved to get the covers down. She laid down quickly, as Harry moved behind her to hold her protectively. His arms snaked around her waist and he pulled her tightly against him. Luna could feel his breath on the back of her neck. She soon felt his lips kiss her neck softly as he whispered, "Everything will be alright."

Luna flinched at his words, knowing that they were only words of comfort, not words of truth. Harry had no idea if things would be alright, but Luna knew. Nothing would ever be the same for her. She closed her eyes and attempted to get some sleep before she confronts her friends. Miraculously, she found sleep quickly.

She awoke to still feel Harry's arms around her, though she had turned around and was facing him. At first all she saw was his t-shirt. She backed her head to see that he was wide awake, staring off into the distance. "Good morning." He said softly, kissing her forehead.

"Hi." Luna replied, her throat still hoarse. "I feel awful."

Harry nodded his head, probably not sure what to say to her. He ran a hand down her arm and took hold of her hand. "I don't want you to be by yourself during the holidays."

"Remus will be there." Luna said softly.

"I know, but I want to be there for you."

Luna wanted him to be there too, but she knew that Molly would have none of it. She adored the boy, and Luna must continue her training with Remus. "Maybe after I get some lessons in, you can come over and stay for awhile."

"I don't want to leave you." Harry replied. "I want to hold you and help you."

"It will only be for a few days. I'll see you on Christmas." Luna said remorsefully. "I will write everyday. I promise. I think... I think I need some time to myself for a bit. To get my head clear, you know?"

Harry nodded his head, and pulled her in close. Luna wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. Despite all that happened last night, Luna felt somewhat better in his arms. She pulled away and sat up slowly, Harry following her. "It would probably be good to get ready to leave."

"I'll see if the guys are out." Harry got up and slipped out of the bed quickly, drawing the curtains back to a close. Luna sat on his bed patiently. She thought of how she was going to tell Hermione and Ginny what happened. She couldn't go up and just out right say it, nor could she not say it. _'Harry might tell them for me.'_ Luna said, a part of her hoping that he would say it. Luna couldn't bare to say anything, because if she said it, it made it true. She shook her head, knowing what she was thinking was completely ridiculous, but she didn't want to face it.

Harry drew back the curtains and Luna got out of his bed, seeing no one else inside the room besides them. She went over to the nearest mirror and fixed her hair with a simple spell. With Luna's back to him, Harry changed out of his school uniform into muggle attire. "Dumbledore sent me an owl." Harry picked up a piece of parchment and held it out in front of him. "Your stuff has been packed and sent to Remus. We are going to leave here in about 30 minutes."

"In an hour? The train doesn't leave until 3." Luna said as she checked her watch. "It's only 10:30."

"Dumbledore doesn't want us to travel by train, since it is unsafe to do so. He's afraid that Draco's friends might revolt and try to hurt you."

"Wow." Luna said, frowning in confusion. "Why would they want to hurt me?"

"Constantine was expelled last night." Harry said softly. "Draco was only suspended." Luna stood still for a moment. She knew deep down that last night wasn't going to be the last time she would see Constantine.

"Do the others know?" Luna asked referring to Ron, Ginny, and Hermione.

"Sort of. According to what Dumbledore said, they only know that they are leaving earlier and that everything will be explained once safely in the Burrow."

"I see." Both of them looked at each other for a few moments, the weight of the situation bearing on their shoulders. "Harry... could you tell them what happened? I don't think I -" Luna choked on her words. A sudden feeling of remorse hitting her again.

Harry was next to her in minutes, hugging her and rubbing her back. "Of course I will. You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Luna."

"Thanks."

There was a knock on the door, and it opened slightly. "Is it okay for me to come in?" Ron asked.

Harry looked at her to make sure, and Luna nodded her head. "Yea, you can come in."

Ron walked towards his bed, which was next to Harry's. He looked up at Luna and gave a small smile. She gave a fake smile back, finding it hard to give a genuine one. He pulled out one of his sweaters that his mom made and pulled it over his white t-shirt. "Mum wants us to wear them home." Ron said with a shrug. "They are bloody awful."

"They look itchy." Luna commented. "At least they were made out of love."

"You try saying that after the 17th sweater. Then you will change your mind."

Harry laughed as he began putting his stuff up. "They aren't that bad. I have a few myself."

"She'll probably start making Hermione and Luna some this year. You just wait and see." Ron said giving Luna a pointed look. "Now you'll see what I'm talking about."

She truly chuckled at Ron, feeling a pinch better than before. She watched them pack for 10 more minutes. They closed their trunks and guided Luna downstairs. "Might as well give you the tour of the common room, shouldn't I?" Harry said as they walked down the stairs.

"That would be ever so lovely." Luna commented.

"Here is our lovely common room!"

Luna eyed the room, awed with how similar, yet so different, from Ravenclaw's common room. The colors obviously were different. Luna noted that there wasn't a grand statue of their house's name sake. There were many couches and chairs, with a large fire place on one end of the room. The room was much larger than Ravenclaw's, but Ravenclaw's was in a tower.

"Nothing too special, really." Ron said as he stepped forward and sat on the couch.

"I think it's wonderful." Luna replied, joining him.

"Hermione and Ginny should hurry up. They need to give the elves time to transport our stuff to Dumbledore's office."

"Are we flooing?"

"Yea, safer." Harry replied. Ron looked between the two awkwardly. Luna looked back at him and smiled, hoping to ease is curious mind.

"Luna!" Ginny replied running to her and giving her a hug. "What are you doing in here?"

"Oh, just waiting on you guys." Luna said, sharing a look with Harry. Hermione looked at Luna suspiciously, but shrugged it off quickly.

"I wonder what Dumbledore is going to tell us." Hermione commented.

Luna stiffened slightly in Ginny's hug. Harry gave her a warning in his eyes before he said, "We'll find out soon enough."

"Well, we better not lolly gag." Ron stretched his arms wildly and scratched his head. "Let's head on over."

Ginny linked arms with Luna as they walked along the halls. Harry walked behind them in solitude, while Ron and Hermione walked ahead. Ginny talked about her latest date with Seamus, though Luna didn't pay attention to what she said. Luna began thinking about what was going to be said by Dumbledore, hoping that he wouldn't point out that Luna and Harry found them last night. Luna knew that she was going to be pitied. Most people are after loosing someone important, though Constantine didn't die. She just joined Voldemort. In a way, Luna thought that doing that was worse than death.

They reached his office in no time. Hermione knocked on his door sharply, and his gentle voice informed them to enter. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk when the group walked in. He stood up slowly like a man at his age should. It startled Luna to see him so fragile, since he never reflected his actual age. He gave a warm smile to each person, making sure to make eye contact. When his eyes rested on Luna's, she could feel him trying to understand how she was feeling. After awhile, Luna broke eye contact and looked down at her feet. She felt his eyes move to the next person swiftly.

"Good morning. I'm sorry to ask you all to leave early, but it's the best option for you. I am afraid to inform that Miss Constantine was a spy for Voldemort." Hermione gasped loudly, while Ginny clutched Luna's arm. Harry's hand held hers. Luna only concentrated on his hand to prevent herself from crying anymore. "She has told Death Eaters all the activity that has been going on with Harry, and she has been training to capture Harry for Voldemort. She has been expelled from Hogwarts, even though she informed me that she wouldn't be returning. Draco was found in her presence. Since he is not a Death Eater, he was only suspended on knowing what she was doing."

"That's bullocks." Ron muttered under his breath.

"We have to take precautions since Constantine was close friends with all of you. Thus, you will be traveling by floo. Luna will be the first to go since she will be traveling to her own house. Then Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and finally Harry will go. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir." Everyone responded. Luna turned around and looked at her friends. She couldn't help but notice the absence of Constantine. She thought bitterly that she was going to have to get used to it. She gave everyone a hug goodbye and ensured them that she was going to see them soon. She came to Harry and hugged him tighter, knowing that he was having a hard time worrying about her. He kissed her cheek swiftly.

"I will be seeing you very soon. I promise." He whispered in her ear.

Luna took a deep breath, smelling the all familiar almond smell that was unique to him. She engrained it in her mind before she pulled away and stepped towards the fireplace. She grabbed a hand full of the floo powder and stepped into the fast fireplace. Looking one last time at her friends, she said the address to her house and was sucked away.

**A/N: Sorry that it was a depressing chapter, but it had to be done. I was debating on whether it should have happened later on within the story, but I felt that it needed to be known now. The next chapter won't be as depressing, but do expect to be some sad moments, along with some good ones.**


	16. A Very Special Christmas

Luna whirled into her familiar family room within seconds. Remus was sitting on the squishy couch with his head in his hands. He looked up quickly when Luna arrived, and immediately stood. His eyes held dark circles underneath them, and hair held more grey hairs sprinkled throughout the light brown. Luna gave a small smile when she saw him.

"Luna." Remus said, taking two strides and pulling her into a tight and loving hug. Luna felt herself choke back tears as it felt good to have the man that was like her brother hold her. He rubbed the back of her head softly. "How are you doing?"

Luna pulled away from him and sniffed her nose, trying her best not to cry. "Horrible."

Remus smoothed her blonde hair down with his large hands. He frowned slightly as he observed her face. She looked back up at him and observed him evenly. She watched his coppery eyes question her emotional state. His other hand held onto her upper arm gently. "Your belongings are in your room, in case you were wondering." He finally said, removing his hands and taking a step back.

Luna nodded her head swiftly, glad that he didn't press her on talking. She scratched her head and stretched her arms over her head, giving a long yawn in the process. "Do you want to start a new lesson now?"

"Only if you want to."

Luna contemplated for a few seconds before voicing her want to have another lesson. She figured that concentrating on these lessons would keep her mind off of her sadness.

"Well," Remus began. "This lesson isn't going to be any physical learning. It's more of learning about male werewolves, and how they will act around you."

"You already told me about how they are going to try to mate with me." Luna replied.

"There is that aspect, true. But not all werewolves are going to act that way. Some, over time, will be more subtle. Males are always looking for their true mate."

"Madara told me that werewolves have many mates." Luna interjected.

"That's true, but every male has a true mate. A true mate is the female that has an imbedded connection with a male. All it takes is a glance at the female to know that she is the true mate." Remus paused for a few moments to take a sip of his water. He motioned for Luna to sit in the chair across from him, and she complied. "Females don't have this process. It is up to the male to convince the female that she is the one for him."

"What happens if a female refuses?"

"The male continues to mate with other females, but he will never be complete without her. Most resort in anger and try to hurt the one she chose instead, or some force themselves upon her." Luna shuttered slightly. "Some just live a life of solitude and refuse to mate until the female changes her mind."

"Have you found yours?"

"No." Remus said slowly, his eyes growing a bit sadder. Luna's heart reached out to him as she saw a glimpse of his sadness, but it was covered up as quickly as it came. "I haven't been around enough female werewolves to know who my true mate is."

"Does it have to be a werewolf?"

"Yes."

"Does that mean that somewhere, a male werewolf wants me?"

"Yes, and that's why I'm telling you this. This werewolf, once he finds out you're his true mate, will try to bid for your first mating ceremony. You have all the rights to refuse, but if he is refused, he might hurt Harry." Remus said with a grin on his face. "I can smell his sent all over you. Things must be getting serious."

Luna blushed slightly and wrung her hands. "Is it a bad thing?"

Remus grinned even more, a grin he probably wore when he was her age when he hung out with her father. "Of course not. I saw the way he acted around you, so I knew before you did that he had a crush on you." A small laugh escaped his lips as he leaned back on the couch. "I thought it would take him another year to even ask you out."

"It would have been that way, if the others didn't give him the perfect opportunity." Luna said, thinking back to the day Harry had asked her to the ball. She smiled as she thought of Lavender's face when Luna said she was going with Harry even though at the time Harry hadn't asked her yet.

"Have you thought about him for the ceremony?" Remus almost covered his embarrassment, but a small amount of color appeared on his cheeks.

"I have." Luna said evenly. "I am still not sure yet."

"In the case that you do, Harry is going to have to do something that will be tough on him." Remus reached in his pocket and pulled out a piece of fur. It was grey and black, with little specks of white. Remus handed the cloth to her and she moved the fur between her fingers. It was incredibly soft, the skin feeling smooth in her palm. She noticed that there were two strings attached. She saw the clasps at the end of the strings, and fiddled with it for a bit. Turning the fur over, Luna saw a pattern written into the skin. She pulled it closer to her face, but she could not understand the words written.

"It's a fur bracelet." Remus replied to Luna's unasked question. "Jelena was going to go over this when you were there, but didn't have the time since we had to leave so quickly."

"What does it do?"

"A normal human puts it on and carries the same abilities of a werewolf. Your mom was given this option when she desired to become a werewolf."

"Harry would have to become a werewolf in order to mate with me." Luna said, realizing what Remus had been trying to tell her. She looked away from the bracelet and stared into his eyes. His eyes looked remorse as he nodded his head slowly.

"It's the only temporary solution to becoming a werewolf. He will be able to take it off and be back to a normal human. It's not easy though for the person to go through this. He has to do it three days before the ceremony, and in that time, you wouldn't be able to see him."

"Why?"

"He would notice your heat, and it will be impossible to stop him." Luna blushed again, but Remus paid no attention to it. "Young werewolves don't have much control over their sexual needs. He needs to get adapted to his strength, and I will be there to help him until the ceremony would begin."

Luna nodded her head, already feeling bad for the burden she would make Harry have, if she chose him. A part of her mind began thinking about how she was going to ask Harry. She couldn't very well blurt it out and hope for the best. She would have to do it carefully, afraid of his reaction. A horrible though crossed her mind. What if he didn't want to do that sort of commitment into becoming a werewolf for a week? She felt her heart race in her chest as she quickly began coming up with reasons why should he refuse her.

Remus got up and encased her hands in his and forced her to look at him. "You don't have to think about this right now. He cares for you so much. He wouldn't refuse you."

"But what if he did? Constantine already turned against me. Harry very could do the same."

"Not everyone will do what Constantine did." Remus spoke. "What she did is very hard to come to terms with, but don't think the others around you will do what she did. Harry adores you. He would never turn against you."

"How are you so sure?"

"I see the way he looks at you, Luna. I see the way your face lights up when you think of him. I can feel how much he cares radiating of that boy's body. I am very good at reading how people can feel, because I am a werewolf and therefore can feel changes in their bodies. He will always be there for you."

Luna could feel tears burning her eyes as he gave his small speech. Luna felt her lower lip tremble quickly. Before she knew it, Luna was completely sobbing in front of Remus. He pulled her into a strong hug and Luna shoved her head into his shoulder. His werewolf instincts began to take over as he began nuzzling the side of her head. Luna held onto him desperately as she felt the comforting nuzzle. She had never felt so _alone_ before, and Remus was being the perfect encourager. She tightened her grasp on his shirt when she thought about him being the only part of her family near her. She desperately wished the man that raised her was near by, but she cleared her mind in order to not make her anymore upset.

"You need to get some rest." Remus replied as he picked her up like a baby and carried her upstairs. "I was wrong to do a lesson today."

"It's not your fault. I wanted to learn today." Luna sniffed. "I'm just an emotional teenager."

"You're much more wiser than a teenager, Luna." Remus said with a small smile on his face. He opened the door to her room and walked quickly over to the bed. She laid her down slowly and pulled the covers over her small body. "We'll make the best of this break, Luna. I promise." He pulled a vile out of his pocket and handed it to Luna. "It's to ensure you sleep until your body is rejuvenated."

Luna gulped it down quickly, only grimacing slightly to the taste. She gave a cheeky smiled to Remus. He ruffled her hair as he walked out and closed the door. She watched Remus take another glance at her before she felt her eyelids dropping and quickly fell asleep.

- - - - -

The next few days were spent with only Remus. They went Christmas shopping the day after she came home, and the next day went grocery shopping for a dish to bring to the Burrow for Christmas Day. Remus and Luna had a very quiet Christmas Eve at Remus' mom's house. Luna had always appreciated the company of his mom, and her cooking. They played board games and recounted the good times before the two went back home.

Luna didn't feel so excited when she woke up for Christmas, though she felt a great deal better than she did when she first arrived. She walked downstairs and gave her present to Remus. The only thing she could think of getting him was some books by his favorite Muggle author. He smiled happily at the present, and he gave her his present to her. She grinned when she saw the new stationary and never-ending ink quills. She jumped on him and thanked him happily, excited to write with her present. Remus got up and made them breakfast, and gazed at the tree while they ate.

"I can't believe you actually considered the pink and purple tree." Remus said as he ate his oatmeal.

"I didn't consider it, I just merely was looking at it with an artistic eye."

"It looked like Matilda Camble created it."

"Matilda Camble?" Luna questioned, a curious look entering her eyes.

"I dated her for a few months during 6th year. She was a hand full, that one. She always had something pink on. Your mom thought I was mental for dating her, while Sirius congratulated me on my catch."

"She couldn't have been that bad. It's only a color."

Remus snorted and gave her a disbelieving look. "I wouldn't have minded if she just wore some pink, but everything of hers was pink. She colored her owl pink. Her shoes, socks, bras... everything was pink. She tried to get me to wear pink, but I quickly hit the bullet and broke up with her."

"She does sound like a nightmare." Luna replied. She looked at the huge tree standing next to the fireplace. It adorned silver and bronze ornaments, and had the slightest dusting of snow. She finally began feeling a small warmth of the Christmas spirit brew in her chest.

"It looks great in here." Remus commented, following her gaze. "You did a great job."

"Well, the best Christmas tree comes very close to exceeding nature."

He smiled at her and stood up slowly. "Hot chocolate?"

"Sure." Luna said happily as Remus made his way to the kitchen. Luna sat on the couch, thinking about the past few days. She was slowly getting happier, thanks to Remus. Everyday they would talk about how she felt, and he would find the perfect thing for her to do. Harry had sent her a letter everyday, asking if she was okay and filling her in on the happenings at the Burrow. Her mind came back to the werewolf bracelet that was sitting on top of her dresser. She knew that she was somewhat over-worrying over what Harry might say. Remus reassured her time and time again that she had nothing to worry about, but she still had her mind on it.

Luna thought briefly on what she was going to get Constantine for Christmas, until she stopped herself. She sighed loudly as she fought the urge to cry again. It was tough not thinking about Constantine. Going for 5 years of thinking of someone constantly, to stopping all together wasn't the easiest thing. She had been improving, not completely sobbing when her and Remus talked about her. Harry always ensured her that Luna would get better with time, and so far, Luna had taken a few baby steps in the right direction.

"Luna?" Remus called from the kitchen. Luna stood up and walked over to him. She stopped slightly at the sight of a large silvery bear standing next to the kitchen table, looking at the two happily.

"Please repeat your message." Remus asked the bear.

The bear held it's head higher, and then Molly Weasley's voice rang out of its mouth. "Hello Luna and Remus. I'm sorry to interrupt your Christmas, but I thought it would be absolutely wonderful if you two arrived earlier than 6. No one should be alone on Christmas, and you two are part of our family now. If you could send a Patronus when you two think about coming over, that would be great."

Remus turned to look at Luna once the bear said its speech. "When do you want to go?

"Any time is good, though you still need to make your chocolate pie and I'd need to shower. "

Remus flicked his wand to form his Great Dane patronus. "Molly, Luna and I would be delighted to arrive earlier, though we still need to make our dessert and to get ready. You can expect us in an hour or two. Thank you again for having us over." The Great Dane jumped out of the window to make its way to the Burrow.

Luna sprinted upstairs and took a fairly quick shower. She washed her hair in the black cherry shampoo, knowing that Harry absolutely loved. She was completely ready to see Harry again. She had missed him so much within the past days. She sprinted out of her shower to her room and dried her hair quickly, letting it form soft waves in her bright blonde hair. She glanced in her closet and frowned, not knowing what to wear. She finally picked out a dark purple sweater. She smiled as the color made her eyes sharper. She put the lightest amount of make up on and made her way downstairs.

"You ready?" Remus asked, holding a wrapped pie in his hands.

"Yea." Luna said as she grabbed a hand full of the powder and made her way to the fireplace. "The Burrow." Luna said clearly. She felt the familiar swirl and quickly landed in the Weasley's living room.

"Luna!" Hermione shouted, immediately bouncing off the couch and jumping on Luna. Luna staggered back a little bit at the force Hermione jumped on her. A brief memory of the beginning of the summer entered her mind when Ginny jumped on Luna with the same intensity. Luna smiled to herself at how much her relationship with Hermione had changed for the better.

"Hey Hermione." Luna replied happily as she squeezed Hermione back.

"Ginny! Luna's here!" Hermione shouted, never letting go of Luna. Within seconds, Luna could see Ginny running down the stairs and sprinting to her. She jumped on Luna with as much force as Hermione did, making Luna topple over onto the floor. Her vision was a see of red and brown hair as she felt the two girls giggling on top of her. Luna could feel real laughter bubbling out of her, the first time in days.

"I wish I got a welcoming comity like that." Remus joked as he stepped over the girls.

"We're glad you're hear, Remus." Hermione said as she stood up and gave him a quick hug.

"We're just eager to hang out with Luna." Ginny replied. "Oh, Harry has no idea that you're hear! He's going to be so happy." Ginny pulled her along as Hermione followed next to them.

"He's been a terrible mope, really." Hermione said as they walked through the kitchen.

"Why has he been upset?" Luna asked.

Ginny gave her a kind look before replying. "He's been worrying over you, Luna."

Luna stopped walking as they were about to reach the door that lead to the backyard. Hermione and Ginny stopped and turned to her with questioning looks on their faces. "Guys, I'm sorry about not seeing you guys a lot these few weeks. I -"

"No need to explain yourself Luna." Ginny said, slinging her arm around Luna's shoulder. "You were being a good friend. I'll admit that I was a little upset that you were spending a lot of time with Constantine." Hermione snorted and gave Ginny a pointed look. "Alright I was really upset that you were spending so much time with her. I just had a bad feeling about it all, and I wasn't sure what to do."

"What Constantine did was wrong, but you still have me and Ginny. Oh, and that boy that you're dating. What was his name again?"

"John? No, that's not it..." Ginny responded, a smirk playing on her face.

Luna laughed loudly and pulled her friends closer together. "You guys know exactly how to make me laugh."

"We try." Hermione said as she pulled Luna through the door. "Now, I think we should go show you to Harry or else he will murder us for not telling him sooner."

The three walked outside to see the boys flying on their broomsticks. Luna instantly found her boyfriend flying around excitedly. Ron, along with two other boys she had never met, stopped flying and pointed to the ground. Harry stopped and turned around, his eyes eventually falling on Luna. Her stomach flipped as she saw his eyes brighten, even though they were a good 20 feet above her, and about 30 feet away. As quick as a blink, Harry was making a beeline to Luna on his broom. Luna looked around hesitantly as she saw Ginny and Hermione move away from her, and Harry not slowing down on his broom. Fearing that he may crash into her, Luna began moving out of the way, but Harry turned to go directly at her. As she closed her eyes in preparation to have Harry crash into her, she felt something go between her legs and the ground to leave her. A pair of arms wrapped around her as she screamed loudly. She opened her eyes to only see a green sweater and instantly smelt almonds. She could have cursed Harry if she wasn't afraid she would fall if she let go. She gripped onto his back wildly as she smashed herself against him.

"You're evil." Luna screamed as she felt them flying on his broom.

He laughed loudly and pressed his cheek against the side of her head. "You know you love me."

"I am seriously questioning my feelings for you, since I am terrified of flying." Luna screamed as the broom moved slightly beneath her.

"I wouldn't let you fall." He replied as he pulled her even closer to him. She felt the broom slow down and eventually stop. She peaked her head over his shoulder and could see the mountains as clear as day behind them. She looked behind her and could see the her house, along with other houses that Luna never actually visited. She ventured a glance down and almost screamed again at how high they were. She could slightly make out who was who on the ground, but it was still an alarming height for her.

"How high are we?" Luna asked nervously.

"About 35 to 40 feet." Harry replied. When Luna clutched on him more, he laughed harder.

"It isn't funny, golden boy." Luna said sternly, using his pet name to get his attention. He silenced his laughing, though Luna could still feel his shoulders shaking. She continued to look down at her friends safely on the ground when she asked. "Why did you even take me up here?"

One of his arms left her. She felt his cold hand on her chin as he moved her face gently to face his. It was the first time she actually looked at his face since she last saw him. He looked so happy to see her, and a strong feeling was flowing through his eyes. That feeling had only been present whenever he looked at her this way, and she still couldn't name what the feeling was. His hand cupped her face gently, his thumb caressing her rosy cheeks. "I didn't want everyone to see how I was going to greet you."

"And how were you going to -" Before she could finish her sentence, Harry's mouth had clasped hers in a fierce kiss. She instantly felt warmer in the frigid air and let go of her death grip on his sweater. She opened her mouth to allow him access, noticing how eager he was to kiss her. She had remembered how much she loved his kisses, and how she felt starved the past few days without those kisses. After a few minutes of their heavy make out session, Luna could faintly hear a whistle on the ground. They both looked down to see Ginny waving her arms and laughing loudly. Luna chuckled as she looked at Harry's appearance and smiled.

"You look really happy." Luna commented as he gave a goofy grin. She smiled at his bruised lips, his extremely messy hair do to her roaming hands, and the glazed over look in his eyes.

"Your eyes are my favorite color. If I'm not mistaken, they almost look more intense than usual." His thumb traced her lower lip slowly, causing Luna to desperately want him to kiss her again. "Your lips are also very plump, no doubt because of me."

"Don't sound too pleased." Luna teased as he grinned even wider. "I do, however, think it is wise to put me down."

"I guess I should." Harry muttered as his hands left her to grab hold of the broom. He had to lean over her slightly in order to reach the handle, causing his head to rest on her shoulder. Within a split second, the broom was descending to the ground, but not at the alarming speed as before. Luna only had a slight death grip on his sweater as they flew closer to the ground. Finally, she could feel the ground under her feet, and she never thought she'd be so thankful to see grass.

"That was one hell of an entrance, mate." One of the mystery men said. He had the same ginger hair as Ron, and suspected that it was one of his brothers. "Hello there, I'm Charlie, Ron's older brother."

Luna observed his stocky build, and his shaggy red hair that Luna knew his mother must have hated. He held more freckles than anyone she knew. He looked down and gave Luna a bright smile. Sticking out her hand, Luna said, "I'm Luna Lovegood."

"Ah, so you're the one he's been jabbering about." Charlie said, giving Harry a comical look. He continued to give a lovesick look and pretended to be Harry. Luna laughed at how uncomfortable Harry looked. He shot Charlie a death glare, but he didn't stop.

"Now come on, Charlie, we can't outright humiliate Harry right now. We have to wait for a few hours." The other mystery man came up and gave Harry a joking smile. "I'm Bill Weasley. Nice to meet you, Luna."

Luna's breath caught in her throat as she looked at Bill. He was easily the best looking out of all the boys. His hair was much longer than Charlie's, reaching just past his shoulders. She noticed his rocker clothes he wore, making him seem he belonged in a band. Luna's wolf instantly began to become more active, and Luna remembered that Bill was a werewolf. She swallowed slowly and replied. "Nice to meet you too."

She noticed Bill's eyes become brighter as he peered down at Luna. She knew that he was smelling her heat, and would soon realize what she was. They stared at each other for a few moments before she turned away from him and looked at Ginny. Ginny luckily noticed the state that her brother and Luna were in and grabbed her arm. "Hey Luna, I have to show you what I got Seamus."

Hermione looked at Luna and nodded her head. "I'll show you what I got Ron. We'll be up in Ginny's room if you need us."

Harry stared oddly at them as they walked away, but Luna caught the realization in his eyes as she neared the door. He looked at Bill murderously, but Luna was pulled into the house before she had a chance to see what happened next.

"That was a close one." Ginny said as they walked up the stairs. "I completely forgot that Bill was going to be here. Are you alright?"

"Fine." Luna replied honestly. "My wolf started to recognize him, but I was more worried on how Bill would react."

"Understandable." Hermione said, "You seemed to enjoy Harry's greeting up there."

"You guys saw?" Luna asked alarmingly once they got into Ginny's room.

"Oh yes, we all saw." Ginny said with a smirk on her face. Luna blushed a deep scarlet, and Ginny continued. "You and Harry are having no problem in that department."

"No we're not, thank you."

"So have you seen his willie yet?" Ginny asked.

Hermione smacked Ginny in the arm, but Ginny paid no attention. "You don't have to answer that, Luna." Hermione said hotly, giving a small death glare to Ginny."

Luna blushed even more at the mention of Harry's anatomy. She remembered clearly that night's happening. She almost laughed at how the same thoughts that Hermione had went through her head, even though Luna had expected it.

"Wait a second," Ginny began. "You're eyes are getting brighter."

Luna froze in the midst of her thoughts of Harry. She cursed her eyes and tried to clear those thoughts of her mind by reciting the past Ministers of Magic. "It must be still from Bill." Luna said airily, cursing her voice even more for betraying her true thoughts.

"Are you sure, because I could have sworn when I mentioned Harry's -" This time, Luna could feel her eyes become brighter as she automatically thought of that night. She groaned softly as she cast her eyes down.

"Ah ha! You have seen it, or else you wouldn't be thinking about what happened."

Luna's cheeks were way past Ginny's hair color as Ginny clapped her hands excitedly. Hermione had a surprised look on her face, but said nothing as Ginny beamed at her. "Could you shout it any louder?" Luna hissed in embarrassment.

"I could, but then you'd murder me. So what did you do?"

"I just, touched it with my hand." Luna stammered, her cheeks blushing even more.

"My my my. Luna's getting more sexual." Ginny smiled at her as she scooted closer to her. "How big is it?"

"I don't know."

"You saw it, didn't you?"

"Yes, but I didn't have time to pull out a ruler to measure it. Sorry." Luna sarcastically replied.

"Ha ha. I know that, Luna, but you have to have some sort of idea. So me with your hands." Luna thought in her head for a moment and placed her hands in front of her. Once she thought that she had it right, she looked up at her. "Whoa." Ginny gave a long whistle as she looked at Luna's hands. "That's fairly big."

"It's a rough estimate, Ginny."

"But still, that's pretty big. Too bad him and I never did anything."

"Ron's about the same size." Hermione slipped. Once she realized what she said, she slapped her hand over her mouth and looked like she had just seen someone die.

"Oh. My. God." Ginny squealed. She jumped onto Hermione and started giggling. "I can't believe you kept this from me! This is great."

"Would you shut up?" Hermione snapped irritatedly, though she held a small smile on her face.

"Everyone's becoming more sexual! Now who's going to be the first to get the guys to do something to you guys?"

"This almost sounds like you've made a bet." Luna said sternly. She cracked a smile and began laughing, her embarrassment from before slowly going away.

"No I haven't, but I'm just wondering."

"Might as well say this now. It's not like I'd be able to keep this away from you." Hermione said with a shrug of her shoulders. "We've done everything but sex."

"Oh sweet Merlin!" Ginny said, her eyes shinning as if it was Christmas Day. "How could you keep this away from me? I could have given you advice and everything!"

"I still find this awkward talking with you, since you're his sister and all."

"I guess normal sisters would, but I'm not normal." Ginny smiled brighter and clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Was he good?"

Hermione looked at the two girls before a playful smile formed on her face. "Very good."

Luna and Ginny laughed as they continued their slightly awkward conversation about sex. They stayed up in her room for what seemed like hours, when Harry knocked on the door and walked in.

"Hey. Dinner's ready." Harry said as he smiled at all of them.

The three girls stood up from where they sat and stretched slowly. Harry was next to Luna in no time. She smiled at him and held his hand as they moved towards the kitchen. Luna's eyes grew as she saw the number of people that were at the table. The whole Weasley clan was there, plus Remus, Tonks, Mad Eye Moody, and herself. She noted the many tables that were placed next to each other, and saw little name placements on the plates. Harry guided her to two seats between Ron and Fred. She saw their names on the plates and smiled up at Molly. She gave Luna a small wink before she continued bringing out the food and setting it out on the table.

"Nice to see you again." Fred said as he leaned over to Luna and kissed her cheek. Luna stiffened slightly, but Fred was quick to reply, "Just a greeting, Luna. I am not going to be like last time." Fred leaned back and smiled at her. "I have my girl, and she's the only thing I want."

"Congratulations." Luna said. A smile graced her face as she relaxed even more. She scanned the table to see everyone happily talking. Her eyes landed on Bill for a second, and he looked up at her. He smiled softly as he continued talking to his wife. She sighed softly as she was glad Bill had his wife, and wasn't trying to bounce over to Luna. Remus, Ginny, and Charlie sat across from Luna. Just as she was about to say something to Ginny, Mrs. Weasley clapped her hands together to get the room's attention. Within a few moments, the room was quiet and everyone's eyes were on her.

"First of all, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas." People murmured 'Merry Christmas' back, and she continued. "It is with great pleasure that I announce that you can dig in."

Everyone grabbed the food in front of them and began piling it on their plates. Luna took a slice of the spiced ham in front of her and took a huge helping of the green beans. Each bite she took got better, making herself wanting to cook like Mrs. Weasley. She ate at the same force of the boys around her, earning a cocked eyebrow from Mr. Weasley. Luna shrugged her shoulders sheepishly, but he only laughed at her and winked at her. Once her stomach refused to hold any more food, Luna placed her fork down and sipped her water.

"You won't believe what I got you, Luna." Ginny said as she plopped a cream puff into her mouth. "You will squeal with joy, since it's silly and all."

"A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of silly presents every so often - just to save it from drying out completely." Luna replied. She thought briefly if that was the reason of Constantine's change, but she forced the thought out of her mind. Ginny seemed to catch what Luna's mind had drifted to and reached across the table to hold her hand. She said nothing, though Luna didn't think she needed to. Luna felt the love coarse through Ginny, and Luna smiled back in a silent thanks.

"Can we open presents now?" Ron asked. Hermione shot him a pointed look as she was about the nudge him.

"I don't see why not." Mr. Weasley announced, glancing at the kids with playfulness. "What are you waiting for? Go over there."

All the teenagers got up from their seats and made their way over to the Christmas tree. Luna took her time, laughing as she was reminded of 5 year olds getting presents. The twins were ripping open their presents quickly, getting the traditional sweaters. They both smiled and thanked their mom as the placed them on. Ginny ran up to Luna and gave her a medium sized wrapped box. "Open it now!"

Luna smiled as she slowly unwrapped the box. Her face lit up as she saw the infamous yellow alarm clock that Luna tossed out her window only a few months before. She barked a laugh and looked up at Ginny. "I can't believe you."

"Well you destroyed the one I got for you before, so I thought I would get you another one."

Luna stood up and hugged her friend tightly. "Thanks." She whispered in the girl's ear.

"Here's mine." Hermione said as she got up and handed her another wrapped box. Luna nearly actually squealed when she saw the make your own jewelry set. She jumped up to Hermione and hugged her quickly. "I figured that you made the bottle top necklace, so I figured this was the best thing to give you."

"It's wonderful."

"You were supposed to squeal at my gift, Luna." Ginny joked, giving Luna a playful punch.

"Here's, uh, mine." Ron muttered softly, handing her a long package. Luna smiled at him as his brothers made fun of his shyness, though Luna thought it adorable. Luna opened it and stared at the poster oddly for a second, not sure what to do with it. There stood a brunette girl with tan skin, wearing grey and black Quidditch robes. "It's Latvia's team. She's they're best player."

Luna smiled at him and gave him a hug too. He stood still for a moment, but then snaked his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "That was very thoughtful." Luna went over to the bag of presents Remus brought over and handed her presents out to everyone except Harry's. Luna decided she was going to give his in private, and from the look he was giving her, he wanted to give hers in private too.

"Oh Luna!" Ginny and Hermione squealed at the same time. Luna smiled as they put on the jewelry she bough earlier that week. Ginny's ring was a bright blue jewel and very simple. No matter how much light hit the ring, it would always sparkle. Hermione's necklace had copper and green jewels next to each other, and fit her neck perfectly.

"You know exactly what I like." Hermione said as she grabbed Luna and hugged her tightly.

"This must have cost a fortune." Ginny said as she joined the girls in a hug.

"Not as much as you think." Luna replied easily. "Remus is friends with the maker, and I got it for half off."

Luna turned around to see Ron open his present. His eyes were huge when he looked at the Ultimate Quidditch Book. His eyes found Luna, and he was up within second. He pushed Hermione and Ginny away and stood in front of her in awe. "This book has most of the autographs of current players."

"I thought you'd like it." Luna replied.

"Like it? This it the best gift ever." Ron grabbed her and swung her around, making everyone take a step back. Luna laughed when he put her down. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome."

Harry caught Luna's eyes almost immediately. He motioned her to follow him, and she obliged. Ginny gave Luna a knowing look before she disappeared from sight. She followed him up the stairs and into the room he shared with Ron. He smiled at her as he pulled her down to his bed. He turned around and rummaged through his trunk quickly. He stood up a moment later and handed her a present. "Merry Christmas." Harry said as she sat on the other bed across from her.

She held the present in her hands, observing how bad of a wrapping job Harry did. Luna almost laughed out loud, but kept it in as she tore the wrapping paper off. An audible gasp escaped her lips as she looked at her present.

"It's a newer edition of the creature book that you love." Harry replied, his eyes glittering happily.

"I love it." Luna said, meeting his eyes and holding the book close to her.

"You can prove to all of us their existence when you find these creatures."

Luna took a glance at her book again before getting up and placing a kiss on his lips. He smiled and held her tightly. Luna broke the kiss and looked down at him. Luna pulled his gift out from behind her and handed it to Harry. He smiled happily as he pulled the wrapping paper away and opened the box. His eyes sharpened to the object in the box. He pulled out a black sweater. He looked up at Luna and smiled. "Thanks."

"Sirius kept this in his room when he was alive." Luna started slowly. "He would tell me how he kept it after your parents died. It was your dad's."

Harry's breath caught in his throat as he handled the sweater gingerly. He pulled it up to his face and inhaled deeply. Luna stood up and let him fully examine the sweater. She smiled while he examined the sweater. He folded it back and stood up in front of Luna. "This is, by far, the best thing I have ever gotten." He pulled her closer to him. "You are the best thing, Luna."

He kissed her slowly, a drastic difference from the kiss she got earlier that day. He slowed everything down they did, indulging in the feeling. Luna practically melted in his arms. From that moment, she knew that everything was going to be okay with her, as long as she had Harry to fall on.

- - - - - - -

**A/N: So I figured I might as well put in one last chapter for this year. I don't know when the next chapter will happen, since my life will be going back into its hectic schedule. I promise not to wait months on end to update. As always, tell me what you think!**


	17. Help

"Come back down to earth, Luna."

Luna shook her head vigorously and stared in the direction the statement came from. Hermione smiled at Luna and passed Luna her paper. "It's very well written. Snape won't give you full marks, though you deserve it. There's only a few mistakes... I corrected them on the back."

"Thanks." Luna replied thankfully.

"Anytime." Hermione gave a toothless grin and continued her homework.

Luna's thoughts returned to that werewolf bracelet that was up in her room. She received it 3 weeks ago during the break, and had yet to talk to Harry about it. She found herself back at school before she had time to think more on the bracelet, and she was immediately thrown into her studies, preventing her from thinking at all. It was a blessing in disguise.

News spread like the wind of Constantine's expulsion, though her reasons were never truly revealed. There were wild rumors of her going completely nutters, to her getting pregnant. Luna only wished they were true, though perhaps Constantine went barmy in the end. Luna felt like she did before she started going into her heat phase, noticing how people would start to whisper when she walked through the halls. She knew it was because everyone knew she and Constantine are - _were_ - close. Some had the audacity to ask her about Constantine. If Harry, or any of her other friends, weren't around to yell at them, Luna would just give her 'off in space' look and force herself to walk with light air. That would immediately shut them up and divert their conversation onto her.

That bracelet would magically appear into her thoughts, no matter how much she tried to escape it. She knew it was partially because her wolf personality was urging her to mate with Harry. Well, not partially. It was a constant feeling she always had, growing stronger with each passing day. Luna felt her face harden in concentration. Why was the feeling to mate suddenly becoming stronger? She would have to write Remus later on that night.

Her thoughts were again interrupted as she noticed Sterling walk into the library. She placed her paper down on the old library table and studied him for a minute. He seemed to be taller, more handsome even. The bones in his face were much sharper than she remembered, giving him a very rugged appearance. The light brown hair that adorned his head was slightly disheveled, and his chocolate eyes were piercing. She couldn't help but think about how handsome he was, until she remembered who she was thinking about. Luna blushed slightly as she thought of him that way, but quickly threw the observation out.

_"The boy is very attractive, though he is trying to take you away from the boy you're with." _The wolf said. Luna paused for a second, noting that the wolf sounded older in her head.

_"I shouldn't notice that, though." _Luna replied gloomily.

_"You will always notice the attractiveness of a male. It's in your nature. Since I'm a part of you, your mind will judge the ability of the male to be a possible mate. It is your devotion to another male that will keep you from acting on those observations."_

Luna thought for a second at the sudden change in the wolf's demeanor. No longer did it sound sarcastic or forceful in its choices. Though the change was welcome, it seemed very peculiar.

If the wolf had it's own head, Luna would imagine it was nodding her head at Luna's thoughts. _"Very good observations, my friend. As time goes on, I grow like you do, but at a much faster speed. It is nearing your birthday, and that would make me, in your years, one year old. For wolves, I am a very young adult."_

Luna noticed that she still kept her gaze on Sterling as he walked over to a group of his friends. His eyes immediately found her in an instant, making Luna jump slightly. They stared at each other for very quick seconds before he smirked at her and talked to his friends.

_"Very peculiar, that boy."_ The wolf said cautiously.

"Peculiar, indeed." Luna said out loud. She stood up and gathered her things, deciding that the privacy of her room would do her good.

- - - -

The next day, Luna walked through the horrid crowded halls. She groaned as the sheer amount of people all trying to make their way to lunch. She stood behind a large group of cackling girls. She attempted to ignore them, but their conversation kept on slipping into her ears.

"I wonder if Constantine had her twins yet..." One girl commented. Luna suppressed the urge to yell the truth, but she kept silent.

"I doubt that she has. She's probably sleeping with some more blokes to get money." Another distinctive voice said. Luna quickly recognized the voice, and continued to listen to Lavender speak. "She is, after all, close friends with Lovegood."

"I don't think Luna's that bad." The previous girl said shyly. Luna heard a small squeak, no doubt due to Lavender's glare towards her.

"She is putting out." Lavender spat. "She practically flaunts her body at guys."

"I honestly haven't seen her do that." Another girl replied. "She doesn't seem to like all the attention she's getting."

"That's because she's acting, Mary." Lavender said knowingly. "You act like you don't like it, but then you shag the boy later. She's nothing but a little whore."

"Luna certainly isn't a whore." Harry's voice rang out in front of the group. Luna smiled happily as she caught a glimpse of his hair.

"Harry! What on earth are you talking about?" Lavender said, dawning a very fake cheerful voice.

"I heard what you said. She's not a whore."

Lavender blinked a few times before fiddling with his tie. Luna had a good look at his face, and he flinched as she twirled his tie between his fingers. "We both know that there's a strong attraction between us. Why don't we meet later on tonight?"

Luna knew that Lavender had not meant for anyone to hear her, but then again... Luna was a loup garou puella and had heightened hearing. Her wolf growled in anger, and Luna felt herself getting hot, and her fists clenched angrily. She took two calming breaths and began walking to her.

"Oh Lavender! I'm glad I found you." Luna said, coming up to her and taking hold of her arm. Lavender immediately dropped her arm away from Harry and gave a fake smile, thought Luna could see she was utterly confused.

"Hi, Luna. Darling." Lavender said with a big hug. Luna looked at Harry, seeing his confused face. She gave a small wink at him and pulled away from Lavender. "What is it you want to tell me?"

"Well, you have nargles flying around you." Luna paused to glance at the side of her head before she continued. "They hold very positive powers."

Lavender's composure faltered into utter confusion before slapping back on the fake happiness. "Really now?"

"Yes, but do watch out. They have a habit of leaving their droppings in hair. Nasty little pellets, too."

That set Lavender running for the high heavens, her hands raking through her hair. Her friends followed behind her, sharing some giggles at Lavender's expense. Luna shrugged her shoulders and turned back to a stunned Harry.

"That was brilliant." Harry said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Taking what people believe you are, and twisting it to work in your advantage, is a great tool."

"That's why we're together." He put his arm around his shoulder and pulled her closer. They arrived at the table shortly. They all exchanged a warm welcome with Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Seamus.

Luna was about to take a bite of her roast beef sandwich when Ginny turned to her and said, "What do you want for your birthday?"

Luna groaned softly as her friends turned to her with surprised looks on their face. "You're birthday's coming up?" Hermione asked.

"I never say anything about it." Luna muttered as she took a huge bite of her sandwich.

"It's February 14th." Ginny replied.

"Valentine's Day? That has to suck." Ron said with a look of mild disgust. "I would hate to have my birthday on that day."

"I'm more of a giver than a receiver, so don't get my anything, Ginny." Luna whispered in Ginny's ear.

"I'm getting you something, Luna, whether you like it or not." Ginny said loudly. Luna shook her head slightly and continued eating. She tuned out the conversation everyone was having about her. It wasn't that she didn't like her birthday. It was that she was so used to not having it celebrated, since it was on Valentine's Day after all.

"Why the long face?" Harry whispered.

"Nothing." Luna said, patting his leg and smiling at him. "Nothing for you to worry about."

He gave her a quizzical look for a long minute before turning back to Ron and continuing his conversation. She relaxed a bit after having the attention diverted from her. She finished eating her sandwich quickly, and moved on to eat some salad. She only had one more class for the day, and then her time was going to be devoted to writing Remus and Natasha a letter. She wondered how she was going to tell Natasha about Constantine. Luna never told Natasha much about her, but Natasha knew that Constantine was a close friend. The last letter she sent to Natasha was the day they found out about Constantine, and Luna only got a letter back about a few days ago.

Luna wished she could see Natasha soon. She missed her dearly, much more than she missed most of her friends. It had been about 2 months the first and only time she saw her. And yet Luna would give anything to see her again. She wondered if Natasha felt the same way, but she would have no way of knowing. Luna noticed everyone standing up around her to head to their next class. Luna grudgingly stood up and departed from her friends to make her way over to Charms.

They day ended on a normal note. Luna paid close attention in Charms, copying down every single word that her professor said. She was still holding onto her notes as she walked down the hall, not really caring to put them up. She wanted to look over them once she got back into her room before she started her letters. She looked up from her feet and saw Harry making his way towards her. She smiled happily, always glad that he was there to escort her back to her room.

His face, however, wasn't exactly happy.

"What's wrong?" Luna asked once she met up with him.

"Snape... that's what's wrong." Harry muttered angrily.

Luna winced slightly at his tone. "What happened?"

"He took 30 points from us because Hermione 'didn't give the chance for others to answer.' He's a complete bastard."

Luna nodded her head and gave Harry a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry."

"It's of no importance." Harry dismissed his anger with a wave of his hand. "How was Charms?"

"No one blew up, so it was a good class."

"That's always good."

They continued to walk to her room in a comfortable silence. His hand eventually found hers and he intertwined his fingers in hers. She smiled to herself at the gesture. Those small movements of affection always got Luna, and this was no exception.

"You know I don't think you're a whore, right?" Harry said suddenly, turning his head to look at her closely.

Luna thought for a second of what he was talking about, then remembered what Lavender said. "Don't worry about it." Luna waved her hand, dismissing any feeling he thought she had. "I know that you don't think so."

"Good. I knew that you wouldn't, but I just wanted to make sure." After passing a group of first years, Harry added, "Now why were you upset at lunch?"

"I wasn't upset." Luna replied. "I just felt uncomfortable."

"Why did you feel uncomfortable, then?"

Luna sighed softly. "I guess it's just that I'm not used to celebrating my birthday. Not having friends for so many years made me not look forward to my birthday, but I got used to spending it alone. I'd get stuff from my dad, but nothing else. Didn't help that it's on Valentine's Day, but that's alright. I usually just read my favorite books and eat some chocolate."

"That's horrible."

"It may have been for other people, but I don't really care, though I did sometimes dwell in the fact that I didn't have friends or a boyfriend. I usually didn't think too much into that, and just enjoyed the day as best as I could."

"I didn't celebrate my birthday for 11 years."

"Really?" Luna whispered in shock.

"Yes. My aunt's family wasn't exactly the most warming place, and they certainly didn't like me after what happened to my parents. I think they were more scared of me than anything." Harry laughed to himself. "I scared Dudley so many times after I got my wand."

"Did they ever hurt you?" Luna asked in a small voice.

"Some." Harry replied, lowering his voice. "It wasn't anything I couldn't handle. It came more from Dudley, though my uncle would throw some punches too."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

Luna felt herself begin to feel sad at the end of their conversation. She wanted to kill those people that hurt him so much. She frowned even more at the thought of how he was beaten up. She was sure it was hard for him when he was a kid, and for that, Luna got even sadder.

"Now don't begin to feel sad, Luna." Harry interrupted her thoughts. He bumped her slightly and squeezed her hand. "I told you that just so you know I went for a period of time without celebrating my birthday, and I love celebrating it now."

"It will be interesting, I'm sure." Luna replied.

"This is your stop, ma'am." Harry said, stopping by the portrait of Sarah.

"So it is. Dinner at the same time?"

"As always. I'll stop by to walk you down." Harry bent down and kissed her softly before he disappeared.

Luna grinned as she walked into her room, relishing in the fact that she had Harry. She plopped her bag near the door, and jumped on her bed ungracefully. She leaned against the board of her bed and pulled a warm blanket over her legs. She fumbled for the book Harry got her for Christmas and began reading:

**The cockatrice is a legendary creature that was first noted in Pliny's Natural History to resemble a large rooster with a lizard-like tail. According to Alexander Neckam's De naturis rerum (written in 1180), it is to be born from an egg laid by a cock and incubated by a toad, though some accounts say it may be substituted by a snake. Its magical abilities resembled the gorgon in being able to turn people into stone or killing them by looking at them. However, it can also kill people by touch or by breathing on them. It's been said that only a weasel can survive the touch, breath, and look of the cockatrice. Having a cockatrice look at itself in the mirror will kill it.**

Luna looked up at the gruesome picture next to the article. The body, which resembled a lizard-skinned chicken, was an ugly green color, with some dark green feathers on the back. The feet were completely black and adorned with sharp claws. On top of the back were bright red scales that stuck out of the back, following the spine in a jagged line. The line went all the way down to the skinny tail that was at least twice the size of the body of the animal. It had wings like a dragon that were very thin and tattered. Lastly, its head was the most frightening thing. It was attached to a long neck that swiveled around slowly. It had the basic concept of a chicken head, except its glowing yellow eyes, that were sure to kill another person. Luna shuttered as she watched the animal open it's mouth and let out an inaudible cry.

She closed the book and placed the book back on her nightstand, too afraid to continue reading. That _thing_ was horrid looking, and the picture did nothing to settle her fear of it. Though she was scared of the thing, she wanted to discover the animal and show to the world that it truly exists. In the back of her mind, Luna knew that it would be near impossible to find this cockatrice. She would search far and wide for these creatures in this book, and attempt to show the world.

_'Is this what I want to do for the rest of my life?' _Luna questioned to herself. She hadn't given much thought to what she wanted to do after Hogwarts, and her 6th year was already half way over. She'd only have one year left, and then she'd have to get a job. She pulled out a sheet of paper and began writing a list of possible career options: healer, auror, journalist, potion chemist, receptionist, Gringotts bank teller, or storeowner.

She immediately crossed off potion chemist, since that meant she would have to do a lot of training with potions. Potions was her weakest subject, though she made decent grades. She would rather not be stuck dissecting creatures and boiling their bits and pieces for the rest of her life. She also crossed off receptionist and Gringotts bank teller. Those jobs weren't exactly the best paying, nor the most respected jobs. She would rather not be talked down to all day by people or goblins.

"There's only healer, auror, journalist, and store owner." Luna muttered to herself, deep in thought on what was on her paper. The four options seemed to fit Luna easily. She could see herself being a journalist, since she had worked along side her dad for so many years. She frowned slightly as she thought of him, though no pain was evident. She had figured him to be dead by now. As horrible as it seemed, she wasn't sad anymore of it. She nodded her head, noting that she did feel an absence in her heart, but nothing in pain. She thought how she could keep the Quibbler going in honor of him, but she didn't want to go back to those offices. They were sold off anyway, and Luna didn't have the money to buy them back nor to start the magazine again. She thought about her dad for a few moments, finally saying, "You're in a better place now."

She crossed off journalist slowly, knowing she wouldn't want to work for the Daily Prophet or anything of equivalence. She looked at her three remaining jobs, eyeing each one with thought. Healers were always paid well, and well respected. Luna did have a motherly care when it came to people being hurt. She could easily do well with frantic patients and all the gore. She sighed as she realized she would have to deal with mixing potions and work night shifts for a good year before she was considered the lowest ranking healer. She crossed it off her list swiftly.

Two jobs remained, each completely different from the other. Aurors went out and fought evil constantly, the essential law enforcement team. They were practically the equivalent to the muggle's police force or army. Her face paled slightly as she realized she would be working hand in hand with dementors, arresting people and forcing them to get the horrid kiss. She would also be putting her life in danger every day, though that part didn't matter much. She survived the battle at the Department of Mysteries, though she did get stunned in the end and suffered a bigger than decent sized cut on her head. There were both good and bad things with the job, so she moved on to look at the other choice.

Storeowner was the vaguest job listed. She had no idea what she would sell. She wouldn't be the one to sell food or clothes. She could own the quintessential bookstore. She had always loved reading, and she could easily see herself working at one. The muggle equivalent of a pet store also popped into her mind. That way she could tie in her love of creatures into her job, though it would only be owls, cats, and other normal animals. She'd probably have to buy a store in Diagon Alley, but those were very pricey. Again, she saw both the good and the bad in being a storeowner too.

"I'm either going to be an auror or a store owner in two years." Luna said out loud. She laughed at the diversity in her final options. She placed the sheet next to her bed. "I don't have to decide anything today."

"That is the most random choices of jobs I've ever heard." Ginny said near the door.

Luna looked up, not even noticing that someone had been in the room. Ginny was leaning against the doorframe, and Hermione was standing slightly behind her.

"We knocked a few times and no answer." Hermione replied sheepishly, sending an apologetic smile.

Luna smiled at the two and said, "How long have you been here?"

"Only long enough to hear you say store owner and auror." Ginny replied. She walked over and picked up the job lists. "I had nailed you as a healer, honestly."

"I thought about that for awhile, but I'm horrible at potions, and I don't want to be doing night shifts for a year."

"I heard those were nasty." Ginny said, sitting down on Luna's bed.

"Have you thought about you're career?" Luna inquired.

"A little. I technically knew what I wanted to do for a long time."

"And that would be?"

"Professional Quidditch player or auror." Ginny replied. "The Quidditch thing is only recent, but I love it so much. Auror has always been there. It would be such a thrilling job to do."

"It does. What about you, Hermione?"

"Something in the ministry." Hermione said quickly. "I'd like to do something to change this government."

"That's great." Luna replied, stretching her legs and walking over to her dresser. She pulled out a pair of khaki pants before saying, "Why are you guys up here?

"I figured you would need someone, since you've practically been alone every afternoon for three weeks.

"It's helped me catch up on my studies." Luna replied. She began undoing her skirt.

Ginny turned her back to her as Luna began changing. "I'm sure it has, but everyone needs to have some company. Are you doing okay?"

Luna stopped pulling her pants up halfway, looking at their backs. Ginny's back was rigid and straight, no doubt holding tension from waiting on Luna to answer. Her orange red hair laid neatly on her back. Luna could see her arms moving, clearly imagining Ginny fidgeting with her hands. Hermione stood awkwardly next to Ginny, her back just as rigid. She seemed to be holding her breath, waiting for Luna to answer. She knew what Ginny meant by her question. She hadn't really talked to anyone about how she felt with Constantine, save Remus and Harry. She continued pulling her pants up and said, "As good as you can in these situations." Luna walked back to her bed and sat cross-legged in front of Ginny. "It feels odd not having her to talk to all the time."

Ginny nodded her head in understanding. "It is weird, though I wasn't as close to her as you were."

"I have a feeling that we'll be seeing her again." Luna said softly.

Her sentence hung in the air thickly, each girl knowing the significance of seeing her again meant. They would be fighting against her. They may have to kill her, or she may kill them.

"Well," Hermione said, climbing onto the bed behind Luna. She eventually scooted next to Luna and wrapped of her arms around Luna's shoulders lightly. "When that time comes, we'll deal with it accordingly, but we can't dwell on it now. It will only send us down a terrible path."

"You're right." Luna said softly. She looked into Ginny's amber eyes and smiled warmly.

"You've got Hermione, myself, Ron, and Harry. No one could ask for anything better. Well, not having to worry about fattening food could be better than us." Ginny chirped.

Luna let out a barking laugh. "You always have a way of making me feel better."

"It's what I'm here for." Ginny replied. The three laid back onto the bed neatly, their hair intertwining intricately.

"It's just so hard sometimes."

Luna surprised herself at how tiny her voice sounded. She didn't expect to sound so hurt, but there it was. She felt hands tighten against hers in comfort. She immediately felt at ease at their touch, knowing they were there for her. Hermione began humming softly, though the tune wasn't recognizable to Luna's ears. The notes kept going higher, until a weird noise escaped Hermione's mouth. It caused all three girls to bust out into giggles.

"I bet dogs our howling with you now." Ginny joked, propping herself up on one arm.

Hermione sent a mock glare, causing Ginny and Luna to laugh more. Hermione also propped herself up on an arm and looked down and Luna before singing, "What would you think if I sang out of tune? Would you stand up and walk out on me?"

"I just might if we're going to start singing like this." Luna said, jumping off the bed and making her way to the door. Hermione easily blocked her way and got on her knees, throwing her hands up towards Luna.

"Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song and I'll try not to sing out of key." Hermione purred, her voice hitting each note correctly, despite what the lyrics suggested.

"Oh I get by with a little help from my friends." Ginny chorused. Ginny's voice was slightly deeper than Hermione's though it still sounded good. Luna turned around and saw Ginny standing behind her with a huge grin on her face.

"I get high with a little help from my friends." Hermione replied, putting her hand up to her mouth as if she was smoking. The image caused Luna to laugh even more. Hermione gave a silly grin to Luna once she was finished "smoking."

"Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends." Both Hermione and Ginny said, harmonizing well.

Luna backed away from them slowly, putting on a sad face. "What do I do when my love is away?"

"Does it worry you to be alone?" Ginny replied, now holding Luna's hairbrush in front of Luna's face.

"How do I feel by the end of the day?"

"Are you sad because you're on your own?" Hermione sang back. Both of them stood on either side of her, waiting for her to answer.

Luna wrapped her arms around their shoulders and belted, "NO! I get by with a little help from my friends. I get high with a little help from my friends. Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends."

They three laughed even more as they hugged each other. Each of their heads were touching softly as they laughed. Luna held onto the girls tightly, knowing that these girls would be there for her for as long as she was alive.

"Do you need anybody?" A male voice bellowed.

The three looked up and saw Ron with his arms wide at the door. Luna snickered at him before looking past him and seeing Harry leaning against the doorframe, looking directly at her.

"I need somebody to love." Harry sang softly. Luna's heart thumped in her chest as Harry stood straight and made his way over to them.

"Could it be anybody?" Ron replied, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Hermione whacked him as Luna laughed harder.

"I want somebody to love." He reached the group and began pulling them out of her room. The girls held hands as they let Ron and Harry pull them through the halls, giggling like mad women. Finally, they found themselves outside near their favorite tree, the very same spot Harry asked Luna out to the dance.

"Would you believe in a love at first sight?" Hermione sang to Ron, batting her eyelashes like a love-struck girl.

"Yes, I'm certain that it happens all the time." Ginny said, flopping down on the grass and throwing a dandelion at Ron.

"What do you see when you turn out the light?" Harry sang to Ron, shoving him slightly towards Hermione.

"I can't tell you," He sang, nearing Hermione. He bent down and placed an arm under her knees and back, picking her up and holding her tightly. "But I know it's mine."

The group repeated the chorus together, laughing and looking at each other happily. Seamus stepped out from behind the tree and grinned at the group before shouting, "Do you need anybody?"

"I need someone to love." Luna sang, prancing away from him.

"Could it be anybody?" Seamus said, sprinting up to her and held her hands, spinning her around slightly.

Harry came up and shoved him out of the way with a glint of happiness in his eyes. Seamus laughed at Harry as Ginny made her way over to Seamus, wrapping her arm around his waist swiftly. "I want somebody to love." Harry whispered in her ear, causing goose bumps to suddenly appear on her arms. Luna looked up into his eyes and smiled. He bent down quickly, wrapping his arms around Luna's knees in no time. Before she knew it, Harry stood up with his strong hold on her knees. Luna clutched onto his shoulders as he spun her around quickly. Luna laughed with joy, no longer being able to see definite shapes. Everything blurred into blobs of colors as she watched them whiz by. Harry must have gotten dizzy himself, because Luna then found herself falling down on him, and him landing on his back. Luna opened her eyes to see herself half on him, and half on someone else. She looked over and saw Ron laughing loudly, and Luna felt Hermione's legs rest on top of hers.

"The next time we all decide to bust out in song, we must remember no twirling." Seamus said as he walked up next to the heap on the ground.

"Well, we get by with a little help from our friends, now don't we?" Ron said, looking over at Harry and Luna. Luna smiled to herself, agreeing that she does get by with a little help from her friends. She looked up at Harry happily, knowing who she would get the most help from.

- - - - - - - - - -

**A/N: So there you have it. Obviously, the song is "With A Little Help From My Friends" by the Beatles. I had to rewrite this chapter about 3 times before I was satisfied with it. Hopefully, you guys like this one. **


	18. Think With the Head you Rest

Luna sat near the fireplace, finishing the last details of her charms paper. She rolled her neck from side to side, hoping to release some of the knots that had build up from leaning over her work for a few hours. She sighed as she realized it was about time for her to join Harry and her friends for dinner. As she began placing her work on the coffee table, she noticed a familiar owl sitting at the window. She grabbed her wand and flicked it open, letting the dark grey owl swoop to the bed. It stuck its foot out dutifully and Luna eagerly pulled the letter off. The owl lowered its head to her before it flew back out the window. Luna saw Natasha's handwriting stating Luna's name, and she wasted no time opening the letter and reading:

_Luna,_

_No words can describe how much sorry I am feeling for you. What your friend did is a horrible act, one that will never be forgiven in my book (even if I never met her). I can sympathize with you, for I lost who I thought was my best friend after I became a werewolf. I was distraught for the longest time, pushing those I loved away from me, including Jelena and Madara. The last thing you want to do is to be alone. Friendship is a powerful tool, and having friends will make you feel better with each passing day. Oh how I wish I could be there with you! I wish I could tell you that everything will be the same, but you and I both know that it won't. What I can tell you, however, is that things will eventually get better. It's not going to be immediately, but I promise it will._

_On a different note, I didn't go through the mating ceremony last week. I was asked from 3 males, all of which were suitable partners, but I don't believe I'm ready. I am still holding onto my more human side, waiting for love to strike me, but love isn't the first thing you think of to find a first mate. You are lucky to have that boy that loves you so. And he _will _do the ceremony with you. Don't doubt for a second that he won't. If he truly cares for you, which he does, he would dawn the bracelet for a week. You just need to set him down and explain to him. I almost completely forgot! Your Headmaster sent Jelena a letter just a few days after I received yours. He had asked if Madara, her mate, and I would be there with you and your chosen one (which will be Harry) to be with you to help you prepare for the ceremony. We immediately said yes. I can't wait to see you! I have missed you so much. No words could describe how empty I've felt without you. Hopefully we'll see each other soon. Unfortunately, I do have to end this letter now before I begin writing you a novel. _

_Much Love,_

_Natasha_

Luna's grin stretched to her ears once she finished the letter. Natasha would be there to help her. She could already start to feel her heart grow warmer at the thought of seeing Natasha. She pumped her hands in the air and let out a short squeal in excitement. She jumped of the couch, full of energy, and waltzed over to the bathroom. Stripping off her clothes, she stepped into her shower and began cleaning herself. She squeezed her black berry shampoo into her hand and began rubbing her blonde hair gently. It was during that moment that she realized what she would have to do in order to see Natasha. She would have to ask Harry to be her first and to become a werewolf for a week.

Her previous joy immediately dimmed to a small flame as a new feeling of anxiety hit her. Natasha's words about Harry flew through her mind. She felt slightly calmer from having the reassurance from Natasha, but she still didn't know how Harry was going to take it. Especially since of the whole werewolf ordeal. She wondered how Harry would change when and if he became a werewolf. Luna knew that werewolves that were bitten or changed into one took on characteristics of the werewolf of their creator. From what she could gather, they become more attractive since they have to attract a mate.

Another thought jumped into her mind. Remus had been bitten by Fenrir, and yet he didn't look as cold as he did. Natasha had been bitten by the same man, and she earned some cold features. She had seen pictures of Remus when he was a child, and he looked very much the same. Once again, she found herself with another question to ask Remus.

She climbed out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her. She grabbed her toothbrush and squeezed her toothpaste on it. She brushed her teeth vigorously. Once she spit out the foamy paste, she looked at herself in the mirror and noticed how much she had changed physically from this time a year ago. Her chest had certainly grown. She barely had a chest to speak of during the time of the Ministry attack, and had started to have a decent sized B chest. During the last few months of her 5th year, her chest ballooned to its D size. Luna still wasn't used to the size, but she had grown accustomed to it. Then, her eyes had started changing into that silvery color every now and again. She almost preferred the bright silver color compared to her normal eyes. Luna looked at her long blonde hair, and the side bangs Ginny had given her at the beginning of the summer. Her hair ended near her chest, and would always stay stick straight. She ran her fingers through it slowly, feeling its silkiness.

Luna stopped staring at herself and made her way out of her room to put on some clothes. She stepped out of her room quietly and made her way down to dinner.

"Hey." Luna said to her friends once she sat down. Harry immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek.

"Hello, diamond." Harry whispered in her ear.

"You missed the announcement just a few minutes ago." Ginny stated.

"What was it about?"

"Valentine's Day. They're going to do that cupid thing again, and there will be certain places where you can do Valentine's Day activities."

"This almost feels like Muggle school." Hermione said. "When I attended them, they would do all these cheesy activities like make pink hearts and pass out candy."

"Candy's always a good thing." Ron said.

"We never had the whole singing Valentine's Day cards though. They were the stupid cards that had those cartoons on them." Harry said, making a face as he thought of them. "I always hated those things."

"I'll make sure to buy a ton of them." Luna said with a smirk on her face. Harry shoved her lightly and smiled at her.

"It sucks even more that we have to do rounds that night." Hermione sulked.

"Well, there's going to be a bunch of people trying to get away to snog each other." Harry said. "You get to be the lucky one to break up all the Valentine's Day sex."

"What joy." Hermione sarcastically replied.

"Is there anything you wanted to do for your birthday?" Ginny inquired.

"Well, you guys have your own significant other to spend the day with. I don't want to ruin those plans." Luna sheepishly looked at her friends, knowing they'd probably be participating in the Valentine's Day sex extravaganza.

"We can always do something earlier on in the morning or afternoon." Hermione suggested. "I wouldn't be able to make anything at night, since of my lovely duties."

"You guys decide." Luna replied with a wave of her hand. "Surprise me."

They continued eating in a comfortable silence, every once in a while supplying some conversation. Ginny and Hermione were talking about the latest gossip in Gryffindor, and Harry and Ron began talking about the latest Quidditch games. Luna sat quietly, not paying attention to a word they were saying. She was too busy muddling through her own thoughts.

_"Should I ask Harry on Valentine's Day to be my first?"_ Luna asked herself. It would be one hell of a present, that was for sure. She bit the inside of her mouth lightly, contemplating how she would ask the question. There really was no doubt in her mind that she wanted Harry to be her first. The news didn't scare her in any way. She figured she had known it for a long time, but never chose to recognize it. If only the damned bracelet wasn't a factor in it. It would make the whole situation much easier, but then again, nothing seemed to be easy about this whole process. She thought about how she would even bring up the topic of the bracelet. There was no way she would do it in public. She never told anyone else about her clandestine bracelet. Only Remus, herself, and Natasha knew of its existence.

She probably would have told Ginny and Hermione sooner, if she hadn't been so anti-social from people in so long. She mentally smacked herself for being so stupid. Natasha's letter made sense when she said that her friends were a great tool. Hermione and Ginny had been more than amazing towards her since they talked in her room mere three weeks ago. They were always there whenever she felt upset, and knew exactly what to say and how to say it. She smiled softly as she thought of how great they had been for her. They were so understanding about what she was going through, and helped her along with dealing with her ceremony.

She remembered another part of the letter that struck her oddly. She would have to _prepare_ for it. How in the world was she to prepare? She felt her eyebrows rise slightly at the thought, complete mortification flashing across her face. She prayed to Merlin it wasn't anything too embarrassing. She couldn't imagine herself reading any books or taking notes down from Madara once the time came. She had to write Remus as soon as she could to ask him her list of questions, since he was the only werewolf besides Natasha she wrote.

Her mind suddenly cleared when she looked up at the faculty table and spotted Dominic standing up and making his way out of the room. _"He's a werewolf!"_ Luna exclaimed excitedly. _"I can find him tonight and ask him my questions!" _She stood up eagerly, causing her group of friends to stare at her oddly.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, concern etching his face.

"Yes. I just remembered something. I'll see you guys later." She began walking hurriedly out the door to catch up with him. He was walking swiftly in front of her, his grey robes billowing behind him. She followed him up one of the moving staircases, holding onto the railing as it moved. "Professor Furma."

He turned around at the call of his name, and smiled brightly once he recognized her. His amber eyes brightened at the sight of her, though Luna noted it wasn't because of her heat. He ran a hand through his curly brown hair and waited for her to take the last steps closer to him. "How are you doing, Luna?"

"Good, professor. And you?"

"You really don't have to add the professor part, Luna. You can call me Dominic outside of the classroom."

"Alright... Dominic." Luna replied, testing his first name.

"I am doing exceptionally well, considering the full moon is only a few days away." He continued, not showing a fear of the moon as Remus did. "Is there something you wanted to talk about?"

Luna nodded her head quickly. "I had a few questions about the ceremony."

He held up his hand quickly, taking a glance around them. "It'd be better if we talked somewhere privately." Luna realized how open they were to someone walking in on their conversation, and bowed her head slightly in her ignorance to notice the fact. "How about we move to my office?"

"That is fine." Luna replied. The stairs stopped moving and they began taking a slight detour to his office. They passed only a handful of students as they walked, Luna only a few steps behind Dominic. They finally reached the classroom, and walked through the small door that led to his office.

There were barely any traditional decorations in the office. It held more of a forest atmosphere, with the assortment of plants he had on different shelves and on his desk. Luna breathed in deeply, immediately smelled the familiar smell of the forest his pack lived in. "It always comforts me to feel like I'm back at home." Dominic said, closing the door behind them. He moved behind his desk and sat down, motioning for Luna to do the same. "Now, what is it you wanted to ask me?"

"Well, I just got a letter from Natasha, and she was saying how she, Madara, and her mate would be here to help me prepare for the ceremony."

"Really?"

"Yes. I was confused at what they meant by prepare for the ceremony..."

Dominic sat for a few moments, seeming to pick his words carefully. "The best way I can describe it is just a time to reflect on what is about to happen. For the males, it's a completely different activity than the females. We go out on hunts to bring meat. Women usually don't share what happens during that time. It's nothing terribly frightening, that I can tell you."

"That makes sense," Luna replied. "I just wished I knew what will be happening."

Dominic gave her a sympathetic grin. "I wish I could tell you more."

"It's alright. I did have another question."

"Shoot."

"I've observed that Professor Lupin looks nothing like the werewolf that bit him, but Natasha does. I thought that once you got bit, you began getting certain characteristics of him or her."

"The key word being certain. Characteristics don't necessarily mean physical human attributes. It can be any characteristic."

Luna's face hardened in thought as she pieced together what Dominic was saying. At first she had no idea what he meant by other characteristics. Remus certainly didn't act like Fenrir, unless Fenrir is a closet goody goody. Luna continued thinking until her little thought light bulb lit in her head. She suddenly stared at Dominic and whispered, "Remus resembles Fenrir when he's a werewolf."

"Precisely." Dominic said whilst nodding his head. "It didn't take you long to figure that out. Impressive." Luna blushed slightly at his compliment. If he noticed, he paid her no heed.

"Remus does look a striking amount like Fenrir when he transforms. He is very intimidating looking." Dominic shuttered briefly as he spoke. "I think that's why he's more scared of his wolf. If someone were to mistake him for Fenrir, bad things could happen."

Luna nodded her head slowly, understanding what Dominic said. "Does he act like him?"

"Not at all." Dominic assured. "He's a gentle werewolf."

Luna smirked to herself. Gentle is a word no one would usually use to describe a werewolf. She knew, however, that what Dominic said was true. "I think that's all I wanted to know."

"Glad to answer those questions." Dominic replied. "If you ever have a question about all that stuff, you can always come to me."

"I'll keep that in mind." Luna smiled at him and began making her way out of his office. "I'll see you in class."

"Until then, good day to you." Dominic said, grinning at her before she closed the door behind her.

Luna only walked a few steps before another question burned her mind. The whole time she was in there, Dominic never once tried to do anything morally wrong, nor did his eyes change color. All werewolves that she encountered had reacted to her heat, and yet here was the first one. Without thinking, Luna turned rapidly towards the door and opened it again. "I have one more question."

"That quick, hu?" Dominic teased. He didn't glance up from the papers he was grading.

"Why don't you react to my heat?"

Dominic immediately stopped, his hand halting just above the paper. He took in a long breath and placed his quill down, finally glancing up to her. His eyes looked nervous, but his face was unreadable. He stood up from his chair and walked in front of his desk, leaning against the desk to face Luna. "I wondered how long it would take for you to ask me that."

Luna kept her mouth closed as she watched him cross and uncross his arms. Finally, she took pity on his uncomfortableness and apologized. "You don't have to answer the question if you don't want to."

"It's not that, Luna. I'm just trying to find the right words to say." Dominic stood up straight in front of her and looked her dead in the eye. "I can notice your heat very well. It's very strong; it'd be hard not to notice it. You're even attracting normal wizards. Most female werewolves can't do that. It's a very alluring scent, very intoxicating." He paused for a moment and sniffed the air, taking in her scent. Luna blushed slightly. He smiled at her slightly before continuing. "If I was attracted to women, I'd bid for your ceremony."

Luna's eyes must have revealed her shock, because Dominic laughed loudly at her. "That was the last thing you were expecting, wasn't it?"

"Completely." Luna replied. "It's not a bad thing, I just... didn't think you were gay."

"Well, you're one of the few people to know. Dumbledore, my family, Natasha, and yourself are the only ones."

"So that's why Dumbledore trusted you to come here and teach, even with my state."

"Exactly." Dominic replied with a wide smile. His smile fell slightly as he continued. "Dumbledore was one of the first people to know. I had a secret boyfriend during my last year here, and Dumbledore saw me after the boy broke up with me. He told me everything would be alright, and that he was sure that my family would accept me for who I was. Of course, he was right on that. I have to keep it hidden from my tribe, though I have had to go through some mating ceremonies for some females."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Not being able to be with a male werewolf." Luna replied softly, looking up at him sincerely.

He nodded his head slowly. "It's the price I have to pay, but there are plenty of other blokes out there that would appreciate me." He gave her a weak smile. "It's better that I know, or else I would have been living a lie and not have been happy."

"Some of those girls are going to be upset with you." Luna commented remembering how her whole class was in love with him.

Dominic laughed loudly, his eyes sparkling with mirth. "Those boys are going to be upset with you, once you get with Harry. Oh yes, I see how that boy looks at you. He is practically putty whenever you're around him."

Luna blushed a deep scarlet color. "That's what I've been hearing. I'm going to ask him to be in my ceremony."

"I knew that."

"How?"

"I'm pretty sure I knew it before you did. You don't look at any of the other males here. It was easy to tell." Dominic glanced at the clock behind her before saying, "You better get going. You don't want Snape to catch you right on the dot of curfew."

Luna stood up and walked up to the door, turned around to him, and said, "Thanks, for trusting me with that information."

Dominic rested his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it lightly. "Thank you, for understanding."

- - - - - - - -

Luna slowly woke up as the beginnings of daylight hit her face. She laid in her bed for a few moments to make sure that she was in fact awake from her wonderful dream. She rolled over slowly and grabbed her dream log, scribbling every little detail of her dreams. She closed it and looked at the clock. It was about 10 minutes until her alarm would go of. She figured that relaxing in her bed until her alarm went off would be okay. She pulled the covers back over her and laid on her back, staring at nothing in particular.

She briefly smiled at the previous day's happenings. She no longer had to worry about Dominic advancing on her. Though a part of her still found him attractive, she knew that she didn't have to worry about herself around him. She felt at peace with the news, enjoying the fact that she had one less werewolf to worry about. She hoped that he would find someone soon to be with him, so he could be truly happy. She felt bad for the girls he had to be with every once in a while in his tribe. They had no idea that he never liked them, or even attracted to them.

Luna felt a slight breeze in her room, and sat up slowly, trying to figure out where it was coming from. Her window was slightly ajar, letting in the frigid air creep into her room. She closed the window quickly. Wrapping her arms around her, she walked towards the bathroom and brushed her teeth. She pulled her robe of the hook and put it on, adding more heat to her. Luna sighed in comfort and padded back to her room. She glanced at her calender real quick and began looking through her clothes. "Wait." Luna said out loud, stopping her actions. She turned slowly and looked at the calender again. That's when she noticed the little red words that clearly stated what day it was.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Luna whirled around and saw Ginny and Hermione standing behind her, throwing up a small handful of confetti. They both smiled at her and walked up to her, giving her a huge hug. "How did you get in here?"

Ginny went back to their hiding spot and pulled out a broom and the invisibility cloak. "We couldn't just outright waltz on in here, now could we?"

"Hermione, you willingly got on a broom?"

"Well," Hermione replied. "We had to get in here somehow. That will be one of the few times I get on that thing."

Luna laughed loudly and put her arms around her friends. "So that's why my window was open."

"Yes ma'am." Ginny replied. "Now we got you a joint gift."

"I told you not to get me anything."

"I know you did. Doesn't mean that I'm going to listen, now does it?" She handed Luna a nicely wrapped present. Luna took it from Ginny quickly. It was her first birthday present from someone else other than her father. Luna smiled at both of the girls before she started ripping the paper apart. Once she got through the paper, she opened the box. Luna stared at a familiar picture from some months before of her, Ginny, and Hermione. The picture of Luna stared back at her with a wide smile and tears coming out of her eyes. Luna then noticed the fancy mahogany wood frame that held the picture, carvings of different words. At the bottom of the frame, in big letters, said "best friends forever."

"I figured that having it framed would be great, so that you know you have true friends." Hermione said as she watched Luna's face.

"It's perfect." Luna said, honestly touched by the gift. "I couldn't have asked for anything better."

"I'm sure you'll get something better from Harry." Ginny joked. Hermione nudged Ginny in the side and gave her a stern look.

"Am I missing something here?" Luna said, not missing the exchange from her two friends.

"You'll find out eventually."

"Ginny! Stop saying anything." Hermione screeched. "Well, we'll leave you to go get ready. See you later!"

"Hermione wait." Luna said just as Hermione closed the door. Now she really new that something was going on. Hermione was never good at keeping surprises, and Ginny was obviously hinting at something. Luna wasn't stupid. Harry had something up his sleeve. Why would she think otherwise?

Luna looked over her gift to Harry quickly. She held the small box in her hands. She could feel the lightness of the gift, but it felt heavy on her conscience. The bracelet was tucked in the box and surrounded by tissue paper. Would she be able to deal with Harry's possible dismissal? Sure it was ludicrous for her to think he'd deny her, but Luna was a Ravenclaw: she always had to think about each possible outcome to come up with a good plan. She had rehearsed what she would do many times in her head. Hopefully things will turn into her favor, but there was no guessing that.

Luna changed her clothes and began making her way downstairs to enjoy the lovely Sunday air. She skipped down the stairs and landed on her feet softly. Couples were grouping around the halls, each looking into the other's eyes all lovey dovey. Luna smiled at them as she passed. She made her way to the table to get her breakfast with Hermione and Ginny.

"Where's Harry?" Luna asked her two friends.

"No idea." Hermione said quickly, glancing up at Luna with an almost believable look. However, Luna knew better.

"Sure." Luna muttered. She sat down and got some cereal. She at it slowly, observing her friends. Both of them completely avoided her gaze. Luna furrowed her brows as she continue to observe them. She felt a light tap on her shoulder and turned around quickly. For a second she thought she saw a little baby being held in front of her face, but once she realized what it was, she groaned loudly.

"Hello Miss Lovegood." The baby said, "I am a traveling Cupid, and I have a note from a Mr. Harry Potter." The cupid, with its adorable blonde hair and its blue eyes, handed Luna a folded piece of paper.

"Go on, read it out loud." Hermione said eagerly.

Luna rolled her eyes playfully, but agreed to read it out loud. "Dear Luna, I know you must be wondering where I am, and I'm sure Ginny and Hermione have let it slip that something is amiss. I've decided to send you on a scavenger hunt to find me, along with your presents. This cupid will be giving you hints and will not leave you until you find me. So if you want him to go away, you have to figure out where I am."

Luna's eyes lit up at the creativity of the gift. It would be hard for him to top this off. "Well, are you going to give me the first clue?"

The cupid smiled at her slowly and opened its small mouth. With a booming voice, it sang, "Pour some sugar on me, in the name of love. Poor some sugar on me, come one fire me up. Pour your sugar on me, I can't get enough. I'm hot, sticky sweet from my head to my feet yea."

Luna's eyes bulged out of her head as she tried to hush the cupid. "I told you to give me the first clue, not sing a song."

"That is the clue, Miss." The cupid said sheepishly.

"What song is that?" Ginny asked, laughing at Luna's expense. "It certainly has a double meaning."

"It's a muggle song." Hermione replied. "It's by Def Leppard."

"That's so awkward." Ginny replied, a small snicker escaping her lips. "I would shoot Harry if he did that."

Luna blushed as she thought of what the song meant, though her wolf inside was much appreciative of its context. Luna looked up at the cupid and asked, "How am I supposed to figure out where he is?"

"He also said to think of candy, miss. The song and candy is your first clue." Luna nodded her head, though she had no idea what the clue meant. "Pour some sugar on me."

"You don't need to sing it again, thank you." Luna said quickly, waving her hands in front of the cupid.

"I've been told to keep on singing until you figure it out, miss." The cupid said.

Luna groaned slightly, but put her thinking cap on to begin thinking about her clues. She had a vulgar song about sugar, and was told to think about candy. She thought for a long time about the two clues, all the while earning many stares from surrounding students hearing the cupid sing. It fluttered around her, belting the vulgar song without wavering. Luna began feeling the pressure of finding Harry, or else face even more public embarrassment. She began the process of piecing the two clues together. Sugar is in candy, that much was obvious. How did it pertain to her? She twirled her hair through her fingers absentmindedly while she thought.

"Could he be hiding in a vat of candy and sugar?" Ginny suggested.

"That would be hilarious, but I don't think so." Luna said, laughing at the mental image she got.

"I've got nothing else for you, then." Ginny said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"It's going to be somewhere where you can buy candy." Luna stopped what she was saying. "Could it be so simple?"

"What?" Hermione said, looking at Luna quizzically.

"Honeydukes." Luna jumped up from the table and grabbed a hold of the cupid. "Is it Honeydukes."

"Yes it is!" The cupid exclaimed. He fluttered around and smiled happily. "You found the first clue."

"The first clue?" Luna said.

"Yes ma'am, there are many clues. Should take you the rest of the day, that is."

Luna felt her lips tugging at the corners. He knew that she wouldn't be able to resist solving this puzzle. He's certainly made it very original with the songs. She had no idea that he could pull something like this off. She absolutely loved it.

"What are you waiting for?" Hermione said, pushing Luna lightly away from the table. "Go find your man."

"Will do." Luna grabbed her jacket and sprinted out into the cold February air. She wrapped her arms around her body as she moved briskly down the path to Honeydukes. The cupid flew behind her, apparently not affected by the cold weather. It took her a matter of 10 minutes to reach the lovely candy store. She stood outside the store expectantly, waiting for the cupid to say the next clue.

"Miss, the next clue doesn't come from me. Look inside the store." The cupid said, a large smile on its adorable face.

"Alright." Luna replied. "Are you going in?"

"No miss, I'm going to wait out here for you. I'm not to help you out on this one."

Luna nodded her head and walked into the crowded store. Valentine's day candy was displayed in every little nook of the store. Many Hogwarts students, particularly boys, filled the store. Luna had the least bit of an idea of where to look. She shuffled her way through the store, peering at each bit of candy. She picked up a bag of Chocolate Frogs when an idea popped into her head. She pushed her way through to the sugar quills and looked around, hoping that what she was looking for was there but not knowing what to look for at the same time. Then she saw a bright purple box, hiding behind the usually green boxes. She pulled it out slowly, and saw the word diamond written in neat cursive. Luna couldn't help but squeal in delight as she opened the box. A note was sitting on top of many sugar quills, more than Luna could actually afford in one payment. She unfolded the note and read:

_You've found the second clue. Good for you. For awhile I was afraid that someone would try to buy this box before you got it, but I charmed it to that only you would be able to open it. I hid this first part of your present here because on our first date, we stopped by here and you bought sugar quills. I can honestly say I've never been so jealous of a piece of candy as I was that day. That was one of the best days I've had in a long time. Being around you was the most peaceful thing I had done. I had to resist the urge to kiss you so many times that day. Now, the second clue isn't a song. More along the lines of a riddle. Here it is: I give off moisture, oxygen, and shade. When things start to get cold, I change my colors. When it freezes, I fall. What am I?_

She smiled so brightly. She felt her eyes sparkling once she folded the letter back up. She held onto the box tightly as she made her way out of the store. She got near the store when she realized that it may look like she was stealing the candy. She turned back around and walked up to the counter. An older woman, not much older than 50, was finishing up with a customer when she noticed Luna. "How may I help you?" The woman asked politely.

"Yes, uhm, you see I have this scavenger hunt that I'm in, and one of the clues is this box."

"You're the girl?" The woman said, giving a warm smile to the girl.

"The girl?"

"Mr. Potter came in here asking for our best box the other day and to make sure that only his girl could get it." The woman put her hand over her heart, swooning at the gesture. "That's one of the most romantic things I've seen any of these kids do."

Luna blushed slightly, but agreeing with the woman full heartedly. "Thank you, ma'am. Do I need to pay for this?"

"Of course you don't! Your boyfriend already took care of that. Here, you'll probably need a bag to carry it in. I hope you find everything." The woman held out a obviously bewitched bag that could hold anything. Luna took in gingerly and nodded at the woman as she made her way out the door. The cupid flew up to her immediately with a large smile on its face,

"Did you find it, miss?"

Luna opened the bag and let the cupid peer in. "It's in here." She pulled out the letter and looked at it again. "I have a riddle this time."

"I'm sure it won't be too hard to figure out."

Luna began to aimlessly walk as she read over the riddle. _'It gives of oxygen and moisture. But it also gives shade. It falls when it's freezes, and it changes color when it's cold. Well, some lizards change color, but they don't fall when it freezes. Nor do they give of oxygen, moisture, and shade. Oh this is confusing. What thing gives off oxygen? Plants do, and the leaves change colors. But it would have to be a huge plant to give off shade."_

"It's a tree." Luna shouted, looking up at the cupid. His face lit up as his wings fluttered quickly. "I bet it's the tree we sit at all the time! Come on let's go."

Luna spent the whole day searching for a ton of clues. She found a note in a hole of their tree, which lead her to the classroom where they had to spend the majority of their relationship. The next clue lead her to where they sit for their meals, and then to the library. With each passing clue, Luna felt the anticipation of what was to come next get even higher. Luna found herself looking at the last note she found in the library. She opened it quickly and stared at Harry's handwriting:

_You have to think with the head you rest to figure this one._

Luna flipped the page over, expecting more to the clue. She stared aimlessly at the paper, trying to figure out what he meant. The cupid flew up behind her and glanced down at the paper. It fluttered its wings faster and flew in front of Luna's face. He stood on the table that was near by and cleared its throat. "Sugar pie honey bunch, you know that I love you. I can't help myself. I think of you and nobody else."

The librarian made a loud shushing noise and glared angrily at Luna. Luna waved her hands in apology and began pulling the cupid out.

"In and out my life you come and you go, leaving just your picture behind and I've kissed it a thousand times. When you snap your finger, or wink your eye, I come a-running to you. I'm tied to you apron strings, and there's nothing I can do. I can't help myself. No, I can't help myself."

"What are you doing? Is this another clue?"

"Sugar pie honey bunch, I'm weaker than a man should be. I can't help myself, I'm a fool in love ya see."

"Can you please tell me if this is a clue or not?" Luna stomped her foot in frustration as the cupid continued to sing, not giving her a day's notice. When she figure she wasn't going to get help this time, she looked at the note again. "You have to think with the head you rest to figure this one." Luna read out loud. "That doesn't make sense. Why didn't he just say 'use your head?' Why must he make everything difficult all of a sudden!"

Luna plopped herself on the floor, setting her head in her hands. She twirled some of her blonde hair between her fingers. The cupid flew in front of her and sang, "Every time I see your face, I get all choked up inside. When I call your name, girl, it starts a flame burning in my heard. No matter how I try my love I cannot hide..."

She looked at her watch, noticing that it was already 7 o'clock. She had no idea where the time had flown by, and all this time Harry's been hiding in this secluded area. She felt bad, since he had been hiding in some area without food. She sighed heavily as she stared at the note, hoping that something would pop out to her. "There's something with the wording, and most likely the song, that I should remember."

Luna racked through her mind on all the possible things it could be. There really wasn't anything in the song, nor the note, that stuck out in a memory of hers. Her birthday and valentine's day have come to a sudden halt due to Luna's inability to figure out what this clue meant. She tapped her fingers randomly against her cheek. It was so vague. This probably shouldn't have stumped her so. Harry was much smarter than she took him for, and he effectively confused her.

Harry had been very creative with his clues so far. She still held onto them in her bag full of sugar quills. She rummaged through the bag and pulled out one of the delicious quills. She nibbled on it slowly, hoping the jolt of sugar would help her mind figure out what she was supposed to already know. The sugar melted in her mouth slowly. It completely satisfied her sugar tooth. Letting the sugar calm her nerves for a moment, she relaxed against the wall and watched the cupid continue to sing around her. She probably would have thought it to be more adorable if it hadn't insisted on continuing the song and not telling her anything. She wouldn't try to get information out of him, though it was very tempting right now. It would ruin all the fun of this superb idea.

"What's your name?" Luna asked suddenly.

The cupid stopped suddenly and faced her, his blue eyes wide and his mouth frozen in mid word. "Excuse me, miss?"

"What's your name?"

The cupid fluttered back to the ground and walked towards her, staring at her curiously. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing at the perplexed look on his baby face.

When he didn't answer, Luna leaned closer to him and studied him. "Everyone has a name. I just merely want to know."

The cupid tilted his head, still looking at her oddly. "No one has ever asked me that." He smiled brightly with his little teeth showing brightly. "My name is Christian Bartholomew."

"Nice to meet you, Mister Bartholomew." Luna stuck out her hand for him to shake, and he obliged. Luna noted how tiny his hand was in her palm. She smiled as it was the first time she could say she had bigger hands than someone else, even though he was a cupid. "I figured we should formally introduce ourselves, since we've spent the day together."

"Have you figured out the clue?" Christian asked, climbing on her knee and sitting down gently. When Luna shook her head, Christian made a small clicking noise. "It's a hard clue, miss. One of the hardest ones I've seen."

"He probably purposely did that." Luna noted with a faint smile. "He wanted to make it hard for me. He probably knew I'd get frustrated if it was too easy."

"But it makes you frustrated now." Christian observed.

"I'm frustrated because he's been hiding for almost 12 hours. I feel bad that I hadn't solved it quicker."

Christian patted her leg lightly and smiled at her. "If I must say so myself, you've done a wonderful job."

Luna smiled down at him in a warm thanks. "Well, you can tell him that when I see him tomorrow when I didn't find him." Christian gave a small scowl, but didn't say anything. Luna pulled out another sugar quill and began sucking on it quickly. "These things are my addiction." Luna broke of a piece and handed to Christian. He nibbled on it as she talked. "I don't know what it is about them. It's just plain sugar, but it's so calming. Maybe the makers put calming potions in them, hm? That would be a smart ideal."

"It would, miss."

"You know, I'm surprised that this isn't my nickname." Luna commented. "At the rate that I eat these, it should be. It would be a weird nickname though. Sugar Quill. I don't think I'd like that. I was referred to as Looney for about 5 years. Everyone thought I was completely yonkers."

"That's not nice."

"No it wasn't, but I paid no heed to it. I still acted the same way. I may have acted stranger when I was younger, for I was an only child with such high beliefs. Now I've calmed it down, but I still hold onto them very strongly." Luna paused in her ramblings. She chewed the last bit of her sugar quill and looked at Christian. "I have a knew nickname now."

"Really?" Christian replied, looking up at her curiously. "I hope it's better suited than Looney."

"It's much better than Looney. Harry gave it to me, actually. It's diamond."

"That's pretty."

Luna hummed in response, thinking about that day. "I had called him golden boy, and he decided that I should be diamond." She smiled when she remembered how he questioned the nickname, and how she gave him a clear warning right before she went to the bathroom to freshen up. Something clicked in her mind as she thought clearly about what she had said at that moment.

_"Golden boy?" Harry inquired playfully as he stood behind her._

_Luna turned around and looked up at him. "Yea, it just kind of popped into my head. I think that will be my nick name for you."_

_He thought for a second and nodded his head. "I think I can accept that. Now, what shall I call you?"_

_"Don't let it be sugar pie honey bunch, please." She teased as she walked over to her bathroom. "I won't take long."_

Luna stood up quickly, the note and song suddenly clicking into her head. Christian gave a small squeal as he flew off her knee to look at her expectantly. "What's wrong, miss?"

"The clue!" Luna shouted, grabbing hold of Christian's tiny shoulder and shaking him slightly. "I told Harry not to call me Sugar Pie Honey Bunch, and we were in my bedroom when I said it. That's why he chose the song and told me I would need use the head I rest, because I sleep in my room! He's been in my room this whole time."

Christian smiled brightly. Luna let go of him and he fluttered around her quickly. "You've got it, miss."

Luna began bounding towards her room quickly, but stopped when she noticed Christian staying still. "Why aren't you coming?"

"My duties are done, miss. I have to go back now."

"Oh." Luna replied softly. She walked back over to him and stuck out her hand. "Thank you for helping me out today."

"Anytime, miss." Christian said. "Go on then, he's been waiting for you."

Luna smiled devilishly and began running up to her room. She had quite a hike to complete, since she was on the completely opposite side of Hogwarts, and her room was conveniently on that opposite side. She passed some couples every now and then. She passed Hermione at one point beginning her rounds, and Hermione winked at Luna as she passed. Luna waved at her as she continued running. Eventually, she made it back to the entrance of her room. She stopped and looked up at the portrait of Sarah. She beamed down at Luna, giving her a thumb's up. Luna nodded her head and stepped through the doorway.

**A/N: I am SO sorry I never posted this up until now! I had the first part of it done for awhile, and meant to post it, but then I got caught up in writing the next part, which was originally going to be the another chapter. To make up for it, I've combined it into being just one chapter, and and leave a cliff hanger at the end. I hope you guys like it!**


	19. Oh What A Day Is Today

Luna had no idea what to expect on the other side of her door. They way that lady luck had drawn her cards, she half expected to not find Harry there, or for him to break up with her. Those weren't logical reasons, but they sure seemed to fit her life at the moment. She braced herself as she felt the coolness of her doorknob and turned it. She let the door swing wide open. She didn't move an inch, merely stood in awe when her previous thoughts were proven wrong.

He was standing in the middle of the room, looking right back at her. Harry was dressed in a style best described as casually formal. He wore well-fitted jeans with his hands in his pockets. He wore a nice white shirt underneath a button up dark blue cardigan. The cardigan had a deep v, exposing most of the white shirt underneath. He was cleanly shaven, and face free of embarrassing acne. His hair, she noted, was crazier than usual, most likely due to him trying to tame it. He had a permanent smile on his face, his teeth shining brightly to her. Those emerald eyes were the last thing to get her attention, making her breath hitch in her throat. His eyes were more pronounced than usual, and were shining just for her.

She took a step in her room and closed the door behind her, suddenly feeling timid with herself. She was strongly aware of how she was dressed today, and it was of no comparison to what he was wearing. She had baggy khaki pants on and an old maroon t-shirt of her mothers. She fiddled with her shirt, trying to straighten it more. She looked up at him and smiled meekly before saying, "I'm sorry it took so long."

"Don't apologize." Harry said softly walking up to her and taking her jacked from her. "I'm glad you found me." He tilted her chin up and grazed her lips lightly.

"I didn't do it quickly, though." Luna replied. "How long were you waiting for me?"

"Long enough to prepare myself." He said quickly. "Stop worrying about it. It's your birthday, after all."

Luna hummed in reply before she felt one of his arms glide around her and lead her towards her bed. A decent sized box sat on her bed, wrapped in traditional Valentine's Day wrapping paper. Luna sat down next to it and peered at it curiously. This would be either the first Valentine's Day present or the second birthday present she ever got. He sat down next to her and grabbed the box and handed it to her. "Happy Valentine's Day."

Luna smiled and began to unwrap it slowly. When she opened the box, she gasped softly. A silver necklace laid delicately in the tissue paper. It only contained one other thing on it, and it was an intricate white moonflower. She smiled as she pulled it out of the box slowly, feeling the slickness on her hands. She stared at it for what seemed to me long minutes before she looked up at Harry and gave a toothy grin. She immediately closed the space between her and Harry and kissed him.

He smiled against her lips before he murmured. "I take it you like it."

"Like it?" Luna questioned, pulling away from him slightly. She clasped it around her neck quickly. "I love it."

"Good. You turn 17 today, right?"

"Yes..." Luna said, confused slightly at the question.

"So that means you get 17 kisses."

Luna quirked her eyebrows up. "I think I could like this tradition."

Harry wiggled his eyebrows, making Luna giggle softly. He placed a soft kiss on her lips and breathed, "One." She smiled as he kissed her again, this time deeper. "Two." He nipped her bottom lip softly as she opened her mouth, letting his tongue in. "Three." He continued this make out session for a while, completely forgetting to keep track of the number of kisses. Once Luna felt the dying need for air, she pulled away from him and took a very long and deep breath.

"That was only four."

"I thought we had passed that number a long time ago."

"Only when we stop for air does it count as a finished kiss." He informed, a mischievous grin playing with his lips. "We still have 13 left."

He began leaning in for the fifth kiss when Luna remembered her Valentine's Day gift to Harry. Her mind halted as she thought about the bracelet that hung with her jacket across the room. Figuring out that she needed to go on ahead and give it to him before they got to carried away, she backed away from him and said, "Let me give you my present."

"You didn't have to give me anything." Harry said as he backed away from her.

"I know I didn't have to." She stood up and walked over to her jacket, suddenly feeling the weight of her feet beneath her. She fumbled in the pockets until she found it and began walking towards him. Seeing his curious and eager face made Luna begin to feel even more nervous than before. Each step was a step closer to fate. Her heart beat faster as she neared him. Sitting down gently, she handed him the box. He took it from her and began unwrapping it. Luna could practically hear her heart thudding in her chest like thunder. This was it, and there was no turning back.

He pulled it out slowly and looked at it with curious eyes. The bracelet looked so small in his hands, almost innocent looking. He brought it up to his face, examining it with those emerald eyes. He rand his fingers through the soft fur, his eyes focusing in on it. He looked utterly confused from what Luna could tell. He tried his best to hide it, giving Luna a small smile as he continued to feel the fur between his thumb and pointer finger.

They stayed quiet for a few moments, Harry looking at the bracelet, and Luna watching him. She placed her hands behind her back, wringing them slightly. The one thing she didn't want to seem was nervous about this. She wanted to appear strong, like a Gryffindor. Otherwise, she would be pacing back and forth in nervousness and over thinking every move he made. How long had they been staring at the bracelet, Luna couldn't say. She was startled, however, when Harry spoke.

"It's an _interesting_ gift." Harry said politely, struggling to keep his true thoughts from slipping out. "What is it, exactly?"

Luna looked at him evenly and began the speech she prepared earlier that week. "Before I go into what it is, I need to explain a few things. Whenever a werewolf or loup garou puella goes through heat, they have to mate within a year. It's a hard process to go through, because the girls have to deal with so much hormone overload." The memory of Madara explaining her troubles flashed through her head, and she shared a private smile. "In order for the mating ceremony to work, she must mate with someone that is a werewolf, or a loup garou puella."

Luna paused, judging Harry's demeanor. He visibly stiffened, understanding what Luna was saying. He clinched his hands into fists, and his jaw set tightly. His eyes began to darken slightly, no doubt in anger. Other than that, he stayed completely still. Luna half expected him to stand up and start yelling, because that's how she knew he reacted in anger. She was silently thankful for this change, and continued.

"I've had that since the beginning of Christmas break. Remus gave it to me for Jelena. It's been a heavy thought in my mind since then, for I have had to make a decision that was much harder than I thought it would. I had to consider different reactions, and how would I deal with those reactions." Luna walked up and gently pulled the bracelet out of his hands. She rubbed the fabric in her hand as if it was a comfort blanket. "This is a werewolf bracelet. Whoever dawns this bracelet will become a werewolf himself or herself. It's the only temporary solution to lycanthropy, for it can be removed and the person becomes normal."

_'Here goes nothing.'_ Luna thought to herself as she neared her reason for the gift. She took a deep breath and stated. "I'm giving you this because I want you to be my first, and in order to do that, you must dawn this bracelet for six days and become a werewolf."

You could hear a feather hit the floor, the silence was so deafening. Harry stared at her with a blank expression. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and his lips were closed, but nothing else showed emotion. Luna hated not being able to read people, especially at this time. He cast his eyes downwards, as he leaned forward to lean his arms on his legs. His hands clasped in front of him, his thumbs moving slightly against each other. He stared off into nothing, deep into his own thoughts.

How many minutes had passed without a real reaction? Luna couldn't tell. With each passing moment, Luna felt her confidence drop even further down in her chest, and her over thinking mind began to take control. Luna judged from the way he was sitting, he was debating whether or not he really wanted to go through this. _'Or,'_ Luna thought remorsefully, _'He's trying to figure out how to let me down.'_

Her heart beat faster as the thought crossed her mind. She bit back her small whimper. She knew it was a possibility that he would refuse it. She had that plan set up in her mind. Would it rip her heart to shreds? Of course. She would have to find a werewolf that she didn't know or like to have sex with him. She looked at Harry again, hoping for a change in stance. Nothing was different. She sighed silently, deciding that this wasn't going in her favor, and that the other plan needed to be initiated. However, her emotions started bubbling up and her prepared denial speech evaporated into thin air. Her throat closed up on her and her mouth went completely dry. She felt the slow burning sensation in her eyes that told her she was about to cry. The worst feeling was her heart dropping onto the floor.

She backed away from him slightly, not knowing what else to do. The movement cause Harry to look up at her with a startled expression. Luna deduced that her body portrayed her emotions. He looked utterly worried. She shoved the bracelet back into her pocket and muttered something she couldn't even decipher. Her breathing was shaky as she watched him stand up slowly.

"What are you doing?" He asked softly.

His soft voice didn't sooth her, like it normally did. It made her feel even more nervous than anything. "I'm putting it away."

"Why?"

Luna laughed crudely; surprising herself at how much emotion was betrayed in that laugh. "I think it's obvious."

He studied her. She straightened her back to appear strong. Her jaw tightened drastically. She felt the uncomfortable pressure on her teeth. Her eyes hardened, encasing all the hurt she felt inside. She knew that her look was probably cold than appearing strong, but it was the last thing she could think of to keep herself from breaking down.

Harry's eyes got wide as he studied her. "I didn't give an answer." Harry said cautiously. He took a step towards her slowly. "Luna, I probably did the wrong thing and not answer right away."

Luna cocked her eyebrow at him, letting him know exactly what she thought. He stared straight at her as he continued. "I didn't answer immediately because... because I was honestly stunned that you chose me to be your first."

Luna immediately dropped the strong and cold demeanor. Her eyes got wide as she slumped over slightly, returning to her familiar stance. She tilted her head to the side like a confused puppy. "What?"

"I knew about how you had to have a first mating ceremony with a werewolf. Hermione was doing research on it, hoping to help you along with it. I decided that I would help her too, since I wanted to make it as best as possible for you. That's when I read that it had to be a werewolf." He went quiet, letting the last sentence hang in the air. When he started again, his voice was in a low hiss. "You have no idea how angry I was to find out that I wasn't going to be the one. I did my best to hide it from you, for I didn't think you knew. I had to prepare myself to not be the one."

"Tonight you turned my world around with the bracelet. You know there's nothing written about the bracelet? I guess werewolves are the only ones that know about it. I had mentally prepared myself to not be there, and you just gave me the opportunity to be with you. My mind was having a huge melt down... in a good way. At first, I was thinking about how I missed this detail, and wondering how it would work. I got so lost in my thoughts, that I forgot that I never gave you my answer."

Luna wrung her hands together and asked, "What is your answer?"

"I think that's obvious." Harry said, using her own words from earlier. He pulled on the string that was hanging out of her pocket and held the bracelet in his hands. He twirled it around as he gave her a dashing smile. "When do I get to test drive this baby?"

Luna snorted at him as she hugged him. She mentally smacked herself for over thinking. How dumb could she honestly be? She shook her head against her chest, color rising in her cheeks at her stupidity. "I have to ask Remus first when is a good day."

"Why are you shaking your head?"

"Because I'm completely yonkers." Luna muttered into his chest. She couldn't face him as she continued. "I was sure that you had denied me, and I began over analyzing everything you did. This is the one time I hate my Ravenclaw tendencies. I tried my best to be a Gryffindor."

Harry laughed as he pulled slightly away from her. His eyes were back to normal, and he had a small grin on his face. "Your Gryffindor side must be completely confused with Slytherin, because you gave Lestrange a run for her money."

"Really?" Luna said sheepishly, color rising to her face.

"Yea. You looked a lot like a Black. I would hate to face you in a duel." Harry replied. He pulled her closer to him and ran his fingers through her hair. "Don't think for a second that I would deny you, Luna. You mean the world to me."

She wrapped her arms around him and enjoyed being petted. She snuggled herself against him. She cursed herself mentally for being a complete idiot, but relished in what he was saying to her. "I had to think of every possibility, and that was one of them. Telling a Ravenclaw not to think about each outcome is like telling a Gryffindor not to be brave at each moment."

Luna felt Harry's chest shake with laughter. His thumb grazed across her cheek, causing her to look up at him. Giving a small grin on his face, he brushed the hair that was in her face to the side and said, "I love you."

Her heart fluttered high up into the sky, high above any range a broom could fly. She barely fought the urge to let her knees buckle at that moment. She felt the wolf inside her stir happily inside her, letting her know that it was happy. It was one of the few moments this year that Luna and the wolf had the same emotions. It was then that Luna finally identified the emotion in his eyes when he looked at her during those special moments. Luna had been a traditional blind teenage romance novel girl that didn't notice how much the boy truly cared for her, how he truly _loved _her. That love shined brightly when he said those three words, and Luna was sure her eyes were shining too.

"I love you, too." Luna said softly, the words flowing out of her mouth effortlessly. She smiled at how normal the words felt to say. She brought her hand up to his face and pulled him into a slow, passionate kiss. They kissed, laughed, joked, snuggled, and kissed some more until they both fell asleep on top of her covers in each other's arms.

- - - -

Luna woke up to the sound of her 7:30 alarm. She opened her eyes slowly and grabbed the yellow alarm that Ginny gave her that Christmas. Harry's eyes were still closed, though he still held onto Luna's waist tightly. Luna looked at him and laughed lightly, making a small grin play across Harry's face.

"I know you're awake, silly."

"Sh." Harry said, pulling her closer to him. "Let's pretend the alarm didn't go off."

"But it did."

"I'm not listening." He opened his eyes and gave her a 'just-go-with-it' look and closed his eyes. Luna sat there for a few moments, her back up against his chest. She crossed her legs and looked at him over her shoulder. He had the widest smile on his face, and she noticed that he was biting his lips slightly. She had a clear image of a toddler sized Harry playing a trick on someone with the same face. She felt slightly sorry for whoever had to deal with this side of him. Slightly being the key word. She more thought of it as adorable.

Luna smiled down at him as she reached a hand over and started playing with his hair. They had finally said they loved each other, and he will be her first. Odd how it seemed natural to decide then that he would be her first, but then again, it was normal for someone like her. She twirled some of his hair, and watched his face relax to her touch. She still wanted to smack herself for over thinking last night, but that was her nature.

She suddenly remembered she needed to shower before her classes. She attempted to tug herself out of his grasp, but Harry had seeker reflexes and tightened his grip on her waist. "Harry, I have to take a shower."

"No you don't," He said forcing her to lay down.

She sighed dramatically for effect. He seemed to believe her and held a bigger grin and tugged on her more. She tried wiggling her way out of his grasp, but he just pulled her closer to him. Soon enough, Luna began feeling the result of her wiggling against her thy, and she looked up at Harry knowingly. He shrugged his shoulders and said. "I can't help if you keep doing that against me."

"Well, if you had let me go in the first place, we wouldn't be in such a predicament."

"Who said I didn't like the predicament?" Harry said mischievously, taking a hand and dragging it down her back. Luna immediately shivered at his touch. She looked up at him with a quirked eyebrow. He knew that she had class in an hour, and that she liked to eat breakfast and clean up before class. Why would he be trying to start something now?

"I have class in an hour, Harry." She said slowly, moving herself away from his _predicament_.

"Have you ever skipped a class, Luna?"

"Never have." Luna replied easily. "I'm a Ravenclaw, what do you expect?"

Harry laughed heartedly. Luna melted every time at that laugh, and this was no exception. "I wouldn't expect anything less, except on this occasion. How about you go into your Slytherin side and skip today?"

Luna stared at him for a few moments, blinking slowly. She could only imagine what he had up his sleeve, but she had never skipped a class let alone a whole day of classes. He had a very suggestive look on his face, and Luna could feel herself breaking. One time wouldn't hurt.

"You want me to go into my Slytherin side, eh?" Luna asked, playing along with him. He nodded his head eagerly. "You said last night that I scared you, and that you wouldn't want to face me in a duel. Are you sure you can handle that pain?"

"Maybe I like pain." Harry said huskily, making Luna's breath catch in her throat. She definitely didn't expect that reply. He smiled devilishly at her, already knowing that she was going to skip. "Just admit it that you're going to spend your day with me."

Luna rolled her eyes playfully. She ran her hand down his chest slowly, noticing how his grip eased on her hip. She continued her actions, slowly seeing how he would relax with each stroke. He was much like a dog in the sense that he liked to be petted. He closed his eyes and hummed softly in content. Finally, Luna felt his grip completely relax and was more of him resting an arm on her hip. He held a small smile on his face. Deciding to play a small game with him, she moved as fast as she could away from him and off the bed, hiding inside her closet. Harry's eyes immediately shot open and he grabbed at the spot where Luna was, only to look around bewilderedly. Luna peered through the crack of her closet door to see him stand up slowly. At first he looked worried, but she soon noticed his demeanor relax as he began looking around.

"Come out, come out wherever you are." Harry said loud enough that she would hear him. He paused, giving her a chance to answer. Luna pulled her hands to her mouth to stop herself from laughing. He now stood in the middle of the room with a stoic stance. "You're not going to answer me, are you?" Harry said, with a low chuckle. "How about we play a muggle game. It's usually played in a pool, but it will work now. I'll say Marco, and you have to reply with Polo until I find you. You have to speak loudly enough that I can hear you. Let's try it out, okay? Marco..."

Luna felt for her wand behind her ear, and pointed her wand to her throat. After she murmured a spell that would cause her voice to sound from different directions, she replied with a soft, "Polo."

Harry jumped slightly as he whirled around in all the directions her voice came from. He started laughing again as he ran a hand through his hair. "I see you remembered the spell I taught two years ago. Very clever." Harry walked around slowly, seeming more cautious every step he took. "Marco."

"Polo."

He stopped suddenly, turning towards the closet. He smiled mischievously and took two steps towards her. Luna bit her lip sharply to keep herself from giggling. She knew within the next time she responded, he would find her and it would be over. She still felt a childish fright about being discovered, but she loved the feeling. She pushed herself to the back of the closet, making sure to have some clothes covering her. She kept her eye on his every step towards her. "Marco." Harry said one last time, standing outside the closet door.

Barely a whisper, Luna took the wand away from her throat and replied, "Polo."

Harry threw open the closet doors and jumped in as fast as he could. Luna gave a playful yelp as she felt him collide with her. Luna started laughing loudly as they both fell in a heap, bringing the majority of her clothes with them. Harry was able to pull himself out of her clothes within a reasonable amount of time, while Luna merely sat there and laughed. "That was a fun game."

"It's more fun in the water." Harry said as he held out his hand to her. He hoisted her up and led her back to the bed. "Now, no more getting out of my site for the day, alright?"

"I can't guarantee that, Golden Boy." Luna said, waving her index finger slowly. "I've got to be able to roam on my will."

"Not today." Harry said as he tugged on her shirt slightly. She took the hint and followed him to her bed, where they sat down slowly. "We're going to spend all day in here in relaxation."

"Why today?"

"Why not today?" Harry replied, giving her a small smile before stretching himself on her bed. He patted the space next to him, and Luna curled up next to him, her head resting on his chest. She listened to his heartbeat rhythmically in his chest, letting the beat relax her. "Everybody needs to have a relaxation day, and I think we both need it."

"That's very true." Luna said. "Can I at least shower though?"

"No." Harry said, holding her eyes in a gaze until he cracked a smile. "Of course you can."

"I will only be a few minutes." Luna said as she walked over to her bathroom.

"I'm probably going to get a change of clothes real quick, and then I'll be back." He walked up to her and gave her a small peck before she disappeared behind the bathroom door, and he walked out of the room to his own.

Luna leaned herself up against the bathroom door once she closed it. Doing a small fist pump, she relished in the fact that _the_ Harry Potter, the boy who lived, was in love. More importantly, he was in love with Luna Lovegood, formally known as Looney Lovegood. She began taking off her clothes as she hummed a light tune of no importance. She turned the water on and stepped in slowly. She took her time cleaning herself, every once in a while thinking about past events in her life, and laughing at them.

Once she was rinsing the soap off her body, a conversation between Constantine and herself surfaced.

_"What do you think falling in love is like?" Luna asked Constantine as they sat in their beds._

_"Well, I think it's going to be like those butterflies people get in their stomachs. But intensified to the extreme." Constantine rolled over to face her and smiled._

_"I don't like that feeling."_

_"I'm sure we're going to like it then." Constantine replied. "In only a few years, we're going to get boobs, and look more attractive than... than Cho Chang herself!"_

_"She's really pretty." Luna said in awe. "Do you think we'll get that pretty?"_

_"I know we'll get that pretty. We'll be the envy of all the girls." The two of them giggled softly, looking around to make sure they didn't wake up their roommates. _

Luna smiled bittersweetly at the memory. They were only 1st years then. That was in the middle of their budding relationship that lasted until a few months before. Luna reached for a towel slowly. They were so close, and yet Luna never really _knew_ Constantine. She wrapped the towel around her and grabbed her hairbrush. Luna concentrated of the feel of the hair bristles detangle her hair.

"Should I have recognized the change in her?" Luna questioned herself out loud. She knew there was no point in dwelling in what could have been, but it was something she never considered before. Luna knew the answer once she said it. There was no way she could have known. She had been so secretive, so protective of this part of her.

She stared at her face for a long moment, absorbing how relaxed and calm she looked as she thought of Constantine. Harry and the others always could tell when she thought about Constantine because she would look sad and remorseful. Luna could feel the change on her face when those thoughts crossed her mind. This was the first time she looked normal, the first time she looked at their friendship without feeling such a strong pain. True, she still felt some pain, but not as much as months before. A small smile spread across her face as she knew that she was getting over what happened, and moving on with her life.

"What are you doing in there?" Harry's voice sounded through the door.

"Hiding from you." Luna replied.

She could hear him chuckle before he said. "As pleasant as that sounds, you should come out and face reality."

Luna pulled back from the mirror and grabbed her clothes. "I've already faced it, and things are looking good."


	20. Seven Days

**A/N: First of all, I am SO sorry for not updating regularly. I have been super busy; I've been leading a very hectic life. I have not abandoned this story at all. It's just been way too hard to get to writing. I will try my best to update this more regularly, but we will have to see. I thank everyone who has reviewed the last chapter! That actually was a hard chapter to write, because it could have become very cheesy very quickly, and I didn't want to smother my readers with it. Well, I hope you guys like this one!**

A week after Valentine's day, Luna deduced that most of the student population was still on their Valentine's Day high. Though the teachers, especially Snape, added much more to their work load, Luna barely heard much complaints. Ron certainly was more relaxed than usual. He held a permanent goofy grin on his face, much like the grin the day him and Hermione took it to the next step. Judging by the dark marks covered up with make up on Hermione's neck, Luna knew that their night was anything but dull.

Ginny told Luna as soon as she saw her that day that Seamus had wanted her to meet his mom, and how he told her how much he respected her as a woman. Luna smiled and nodded as Ginny explained how shocked she was to hear that from a boy. Luna knew it was exactly what Ginny needed to hear. She knew that Ginny put on a slight front when it came to boys, and that she didn't care much about the emotional part of it, but Luna knew deep down that Ginny cared a great deal. She knew it meant the world to Ginny. If anything, Seamus just sealed the deal with Ginny. She wouldn't be surprised if he proposed to her in the near future.

Harry certainly walked with a new spunk since Valentines Day. His eyes always shined with love whenever she saw him, and she was sure her eyes were silver. Though he was affectionate in front of people before, he would never kiss her in front of people. Now, it took her everything to pry him off of her. It took a great deal to force herself to push him off, too.

She noted her changes too. For one, she didn't have to deal too much with her wolf. She assumed it was because she had chosen who she wanted to be with. The wolf would comment now and then on how she felt about any situation, not just Harry or the mating ceremony. Luna no longer felt it as an alien presence, and more like a good friend. If need be, she would have long conversations with her in the middle of class. The advantages of it were marvelous.

"I hope Remus and Natasha write to me soon." Luna said, breaking the silence. "I know you guys will love Natasha."

"Is she pretty?" Ginny asked.

"She's beautiful in her own right." Luna replied slowly. Hermione gave her a curious look. "Since she was bitten by Fenrir, she has a cold demeanor around her. She looks cold, but she's the complete opposite."

"That makes sense." Hermione stated. "Just as long as we're not dealing with someone like Pansy, I think we will be okay."

"I assure you, she is not like her at all." Luna snorted lightly at the thought. They continued walking in a comfortable silence, neither of the three feeling the need to force a conversation upon themselves. They took the last steps on the staircase that would lead them to a promising dinner when Flitwick intercepted their path.

"Good evening ladies. Lucky chance I found all three of you here!" Flitwick chirped as he hurriedly walked up to them. Hermione put on a friendly smile, though Luna could see that Hermione was highly curious. Ginny held a quizzical face, her mouth hung open slightly as if to ask a question. Luna hid her curiosity well, knowing that her famous whimsical look was covering it up. "The Headmaster would like to see you three up in his office."

"But what about dinner?" Ginny asked, sounding much like her older brother.

"The Headmaster said this was of upmost importance." Flitwick said quickly, ending whatever thought Ginny was going to say next. "I'm sure he would allow you three to stay later than the allowed time for a quick dinner. Now, I suggest that you three promptly make your way to his office. The password is Toffee."

"Thank you, professor." Luna said kindly. She earned a grand smile from her head of house. The three girls turned around and began making their way towards the gargoyle. "What do you think this is about?"

"I have no idea." Ginny said, shrugging her shoulders. "Whatever it is, it must be important. Dumbledore never misses a meal with the students."

"Could it be about your ceremony?" Hermione asked Luna.

"I guess it could. It would make sense, but I haven't heard from Natasha or Remus. I didn't inform Dumbledore yet, because I wanted to hear from Remus first."

"Hm, maybe we actually got in trouble?" Ginny suggested.

"For what?"

"Oh I don't know. Maybe he realized that prank we pulled on Draco at the beginning of the year. You know when his hair all disappeared?"

Hermione snorted loudly, causing the other two girls to raise their eyebrows slightly. "Sorry, I just had that image reappear in my mind." Hermione said sheepishly.

Luna chuckled as the startled expression of Draco without hair. "That's when I pronounced him as a naked mole rat. He didn't live that down for weeks."

"That was great." Ginny replied.

"I don't think that's why we're being called, though."

"Well, it looks like we'll be finding out soon." Hermione said as she stopped in front of the entrance. "Toffee."

The gargoyle moved out of the way, allowing the girls to make their way towards Dumbledore's office door. Hermione knocked loudly, and the door opened gently. Hermione lead the two girls in the familiar office. Luna looked around and saw that Ron and Harry were standing near Dumbledore's desk, their faces set as stone in a serious manner. Dumbledore was speaking to them in a low voice, but acknowledged their presence. Hermione got the hint that they were to keep their distance, and led the girls to the opposite side of the room. Once the three of them were completely in the door, flicked her eyes around the room and saw Remus standing in the corner. Luna's eyes brightened as she made her way over to him. He smiled back at her and gave her a warm hug, squeezing tighter she she naturally nuzzled him.

"I'm sorry I didn't reply to your letter sooner." Remus said softly as to not disturb the conversation between Harry, Ron, and Dumbledore. "I was doing Order business, and I couldn't risk being discovered. Dumbledore saved your letter and asked me to come here once I was done."

Luna made the mental note in her mind, and realized what the meeting was about.

"So are we here to talk about the ceremony?"

Remus nodded his head, a small smile creeping upon his slightly aged face. "Yes, the boys had their meeting first, since Harry has to become a werewolf for you."

"Is it going to be bad?" Luna asked, her concern evident in her voice.

"Physically, it won't be that painful. On the other hand, he will be able to smell your scent, and it will drive him mad. That will be the most challenging thing for him. He'll be able to sense you are in the building, and he will try to do all he can do to get to you."

"Why is he going to be so intent on it? You never did such a thing, and you are a full blown werewolf."

"Well," Remus began, leaning his head closer to her. "If you remember, there was that moment when I did lose control with you."

Luna's cheeks turned the deepest scarlet, remembering the moment that Remus was talking about. Never in her life had she done something like that with a much older man, particularly Remus. She also remembered the embarrassment the two of them had after the situation, and that this really was their first time acknowledging that it happened. She looked back up at him and formed an unspoken "oh" on her lips.

"You really have no idea how alluring your scent is. No doubt you gained that from your mother. I have made my tolerance of your scent stronger, but Harry has never experienced it before. There will be no time for him to begin to build a resistance, because he will only have three days. Those three days will be directly solely towards him getting used to his new self."

"Thank you fall for coming." Dumbledore addressed the room, getting everyone's attention to him. "As you all know, it is of upmost importance to treasure the happy moments in these dark times. Now is one of those happy moments." He looked at Luna and smiled brightly. "I am sure you all have been informed of Luna's decision, and I have summoned you to understand what is to be expected of you during this process."

Dumbledore summoned up some chairs for everyone to sit in. Luna maneuvered her way to the empty seat next to Harry, sharing a private smile with him as she sat down. He held her hand and gave a light squeeze.

"Now, the preparation will only take three days and the actual ceremony will also take three days. We do not want the student population getting a hold of what is going on, so we must plan for the actual preparation to begin on a Friday, and then have the ceremony begin on Monday. That way it will look less suspicious to have just Harry and Luna absent, rather than all of you. Hermione and Ginny, you will be staying with Luna in her room during the three preparation days. Ron, Remus, and Dominic will be with Harry in the Room of Requirement. Now, Luna must be present when Harry places the bracelet on his arm, for he needs to know her scent and not be confused with who the scent belongs to. She must be taken out shortly after it has happened, for her scent will drive him to claim her."

Luna blushed slightly, feeling slightly odd about talking about this with a man she respected. Dumbledore paid no attention to her blushing cheeks. For that, Luna was thankful.

"The ceremony itself will be in the Room of Requirement. It will be heavily charmed, and no one will be allowed to go into the room, nor will Harry and Luna be allowed to leave. Food will be provided to you from a compartment that is connected to the kitchen. Once the ceremony is done, the charms will come off and you two will be able to come out.

"Another topic to discuss is when this ceremony would begin. Now, there will be a full moon in about four days, so it is entirely out of the question to do it anytime soon. However, the following two weeks are available. Though I know that this is a sensitive ceremony, but I urge that it must take place during these two weeks."

All eyes were on her now, for they all knew it was her decision on when it should happen. There wasn't a problem with her for doing it sometime within the two weeks, but as Luna observed Dumbledore, she became curious as to why he wanted it done so quickly. She saw the urgency and worry in his eyes, which ultimately made Luna nervous. "May I ask why?"

Dumbledore looked at Luna for long moments before he said, "It is in the best interest that we do it as soon as we can, because we have no idea when this war will get at it's worse. It can happen at any moment, and it would be best for us to indulge in this happiness before we face the dark."

Luna could tell when Dumbledore was hiding something. This was one of those moments. She knew not to press the matter, for if he was hiding something, it must be important. She nodded her head, showing that she accepted the answer, but she would let her mind ponder later. "Well, why don't we start in seven days?"

"Are you sure about this?" Remus asked from behind her. "You can wait for a little bit longer if you so desire."

"He is right. You don't have to do it so soon. You still have time." Dumbledore said, drawing her attention back to him.

"I feel fine with seven days." Luna said strongly. "It is like you said. I don't know when I will be able to have this chance again. I don't know if I will live to see the end of this war."

The air became heavy with Luna's statement. Harry's hand tightened on her hand. She looked back at him in all seriousness, observing his face. He had become upset with what she had said, she could tell. He was concerned and worried for her well being. It was something Luna was sure he had thought of many times, for that was the reason he broke up with Ginny the year before. His eyes were hard and blocking what he believed was weak emotions. Luna turned her head, and stared at the other three.

Ginny's jaw was set tightly and her face void of all emotion, but Luna saw the small gulp Ginny took. Ginny was making sure she appeared strong in front of the others. Luna could easily recognize it. The last thing Ginny ever wanted to do was to appear scared. Her pride always won in comparison to her sensitivity. She glanced at Luna and gave her a small smile, acknowledging that Luna saw through her devices.

Hermione was the next person Luna looked at. She appeared scared, with her wide eyes and pursed lips to conceal vocally showing it, but she also seemed to have thought about it already. Luna reminded herself that she would have had to understand what she faces. She had gone on all the quests with Harry since she met him, and cheated death countless times. Hermione wasn't stupid, that's for sure, but neither was she completely without emotion like most of the student population would like to believe.

Ron had his head bowed, concealing his face with his red hair. He fiddled with his fingers absentmindedly, slowly moving each finger. It was a typical Ron move. When something became serious, he would go to this behavior mode of silence and ignorance. Most would call it a childish move to ignore it, but for some, ignorance is bliss. For Ron, it was better for him not to dwell in the possible death he might succumb to. It was probably better for Harry to have a positive thinker such as Ron, always there to say that it will be okay, even though it very well might not be.

She turned back to Harry and squeezed his hand softly. "Is that alright with you?"

"It is your decision." Harry said slowly, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. "I am fine with whenever you want to do this."

"I want to do this." Luna stated with authority.

"Then it's settled." Dumbledore said softly. "We will begin in seven days."

Remus walked over and placed a hand on Luna's shoulder. She turned and smiled at him. He smiled back with a look that was usually reserved for a family member or a loved one. Luna thought about how much they had become their own family, each member no longer having their parents with them. She could tell he was proud of her, even though both people knew that it would normally be wrong to be proud of a girl planning to lose her virginity in such a way. It made their understanding of each other deeper, something she hadn't experienced since her real father, Sirius. She never had siblings, but to her, Remus was her brother. He would always be her brother. She hoped that he felt of her as a sister, and deep down she knew that he did.

"I think it is wise to let everyone enjoy a nice dinner, no?" Dumbledore said as he stood up slowly. Everyone stood up, recognizing a dismissal when it is issued. Harry kept on holding Luna's hand as they walked out of the room. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny walked ahead of them, while Remus stayed behind with Dumbledore. Luna noticed that Harry began slowing their pace, further distancing themselves with their friends. When they passed the gargoyle, Harry stopped completely. Luna looked at her friends making their way down the hall. They either had no idea that her and Harry weren't with them, or they knew what Harry was doing and decided to give them privacy. She figured it was the latter.

"Is everything alright?" Luna asked.

Harry looked at her for a long minute, studying her face. His green eyes darted to different places on her face as if measuring her emotion. Luna stood still under his investigation. She felt odd underneath this gaze, but she knew that he needed to do this. It was some sort of reassurance to him to analyze her face. She didn't mind, but since they had just decided to have her ceremony in seven days, she was afraid he might want to convince her to delay it.

"Are you sure about doing this in seven days?" Harry finally asked.

Luna let out a mental sigh even though she understood why he would make sure of her feelings on the matter. "Yes, I am positive. I think it is best that we do it soon. Do you?"

Harry began leading her in the direction that would eventually lead them to her room. "I am fine with whatever time you choose. But I don't want you to feel rushed into this. Wouldn't you like to wait?"

"Wait?" Luna questioned airily. She took a sideways glance at him through her side bangs. "For how long?"

"Well, Hermione said she was going to wait until marriage..."

"You think it would be better for us to wait until marriage?"

"Not necessarily better," Harry responded, with serious etching his voice. "But it would allow you to have more time to think things over."

"I wouldn't be able to last for that long." Luna said with humor. "If you thought my heat was bad now, think of what it would be like in years. I would be jumping guys left and right." Luna had a mental picture of herself in a crazed frenzy, looking at any passing man as if he was a slab of meat. She shuttered slightly. That would be the worst thing to do to her wolf, especially since it has started to calm down. She wouldn't want to psych out it. It would come back with vengeance. "In all seriousness, I don't want to wait. I want you."

Harry nodded his head slightly. "I know you want to do this, Luna."

"Then you understand that I can't wait."

"Yes. I know that some werewolf can force you to do it."

If she could avoid from bringing up this possibility, she would have. She hadn't mentioned it to Harry, but she was sure that Dumbledore or Remus told him before she walked in for the meeting. She was more than sure that Harry had reacted badly before, and that his seriousness when she walked into the meeting was him calming down from the news. It would have ben better if she had told him, but there was no changing that now. Though the prospect of another werewolf forcing himself upon her did weigh in the urgency, Luna hadn't thought about it until now. She wanted to do it so badly because she was afraid that she may not see him after the war.

She had thought a long time about her possible death. She knew she was a target, since all of her family is dead, and she is in a relationship with Harry. Constantine, if not Draco, had to have told Voldemort this. She could be used as bait to get Harry to surrender his life, or they could kill her to destroy Harry. She was no stranger to danger with what happened two years ago. She was able to hold herself against a few Death Eaters, but an army with Voldemort? She knew it wouldn't be likely. Granted, she still held on hope that she would live to see the end of the war, but she had to recognize that she would face a lot of hardship and possibly death.

Luna could tell that Harry was thinking the same thing. Death isn't something to flippantly think about. Harry must have thought about his death too, and the death of his friends. Everyone near Harry knew how much he thought about the deaths around him. After all, he broke up with Ginny last year for he was afraid for her life. Harry has the greatest chance of dying, Luna knew. He had only two options: to be killed by Voldemort, or to kill Voldemort. Either option would be traumatic on him. Luna noted sadly that death would be much worse, but to live with the knowledge of killing a man was a heavy burden.

Harry slowed down their pace more, eventually causing them to stop again. He put a hand up to her face, cupping it gently. "I just want to make sure you want this, not because Dumbledore pressured you into this."

"He didn't pressure me. I am positive about this."

She barely felt the light kiss he gave her, for it lasted a second. He pulled back and rubbed his thumb across her cheek. His eyes were deep with an unspoken worry. She bit her lip after his kiss, knowing that he wasn't going to tell her what he was worried about. He didn't have to. They both held the same worry of the other's life. Without another word, they continued walking. Luna felt the heaviness of their conversation dampening what was great news just a few minutes ago. Luna desperately wished to bring back the excitement that she felt before.

"Are you excited to become a werewolf?" Luna asked casually, hoping this would be the right topic to make them more cheery.

Harry's lips twitched in a small grin. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. "More than you know. I'm going to have fun before our night. Well, I guess being tortured by your sent isn't going to make me feel good."

"I guess not. Dominic said that my scent was very alluring, and Remus has told me he has had to build up a strong resistance to it."

"I'll just have to be one horny dog."

Luna pulled her hand out his grasp to smack him playfully in the chest. He snorted slightly and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She in turn wrapped her arm around his waist.

"It's going to be weird," Harry commented a few seconds later. "Having Remus, Ron, and Dominic see me try so hard to... well, you know."

Luna held a small blush on her cheeks. "I'm sure it will be, for both of us. I'm going to have some sort of preparation time for this."

"Do you know what is going to happen?"

"Not at all." Luna said with a wave of her hand. "Female werewolves usually keep this part secret until it is time for it to begin. Remus had no way of telling me what is to happen."

They walked in silence until they got up to her room. She walked in quickly, with Harry following in after her. She closed the door behind them and watched Harry as he moved to sit on her bed. He patted the spot next to him, beckoning for Luna to join him. She walked over to him and sat down slowly. He grabbed the hand that held her faint scars from Umbridge. He traced the scars with his fingers soothingly.

"I love you so much." Harry softly whispered. He brought her hand up to his lips in a gentle kiss. He lingered for longer than what was considered normal. It was as if he was kissing the scars away. She smiled at this, honestly touched by this tenderness. "I can't wait for us to finally do this, but not completely for sex. I would be a liar if I said I wasn't look forward to it." He smirked slightly at this. Luna let out a brief chuckle. "I will just be glad to have you feel more whole, instead of feeling conflicted with your wolf."

"I can't wait either, for both." Luna said with her own smirk. This caused Harry to laugh loudly and to kiss her fervently.

- - - - -

**The next chapter will be up fairly soon, maybe in a few days or a week. I can't really make a promise, but it will be posted much quicker than this chapter. **


	21. Boring Day

****IMPORTANT: It will be a bit longer for me to get the next chapter up, for I have just suffered a loss in my family. I wanted to uphold my promise to get this in this week, because this would have just sat around on my computer, not touched for a while. I'll be writing the next chapter, don't worry. This chapter is probably going to be really sloppy, and for that I'm sorry. I hope you all enjoy.**

**- - - - - - - **

Luna was lost in her thoughts again, absentmindedly doodling on a small piece of parchment. It was a lazy Saturday. Nothing was going on around Hogwarts. Luna, for once, wasn't even stimulated by the library, where she was currently at. The book that she picked out was about griffins, which was one of her favorite animals. It sat opened on the first page, last touched about 40 minutes ago.

_"Only six more days."_ Luna thought happily, her stomach fluttering slightly. It was finally going to happen. She never thought this was going to happen. Of course she knew it was going to happen, but it just seemed to take forever to come to this point. She was thankful she waited for Harry. If it wasn't going to be with him, she knew her next choice would have to be a werewolf. Someone she most likely didn't love at all. She didn't have to worry about that now. She smiled happily to herself.

She gave up on her feeble attempt to occupy her time in the library. She stood up, stretching her short legs. Picking up the book, she walked over to the shelf and placed it back in its proper place. She gracefully walked out of the library, and immediately saw all the bored faces that were roaming the halls. Everyone was feeling this boredom. There was absolutely nothing for anyone to do. That was the one problem that Hogwarts faced. Though it was a grand school, there was nothing else really to do.

She eventually found a very bored looking Ginny on the third floor, relaxing on a bench. Ginny's eyes lit up at the sight of Luna, giving her something to talk about. "Hey hey missy."

"Hey." Luna replied, sitting down next to Ginny. She laid her head against the stone wall. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing at all, like the rest of the school population." Ginny stated with a wave of her arm. "Honestly, there has to be something to do."

"I know, I couldn't even read in the library."

Ginny raised an eyebrow at Luna, laughing slighty. "I think hell has frozen over if you can't find something to do."

"Weird, isn't it?" Luna laughed at herself too. "I just need something to stimulate my mind. Something really interesting."

"You can find Harry." Ginny offered.

"Quidditch practice until late afternoon."

"Oh. So that's were Seamus has been."

They sat in another silence, watching students pass by every now and again. Luna could have fallen asleep, since she was so bored. She fiddled with her fingers, closing her eyes. She hummed nothing in particular.

"I got it!" Ginny shouted, startling Luna slightly. She opened her eyes to see a very wide eyed Ginny practically jumping up and down in her seat.

"What?"

"Hermione is probably sitting in her room. We should go see if she wants to do a sleep over or something."

With that, the girls began making their trek to Hermione's private Head Girl quarters. Luna had never actually been in her quarters, since she shared them with Draco. Hermione usually spent most of her time away from her room for that reason, and also to spend her time with her friends. Luna walked behind Ginny, since Ginny was the only person of the two that knew where to go. They climbed up to the fifth floor and made their way down the long hall until Ginny stopped and knocked on the statue of a knight. It sprang to life, turning it's head towards the two girls.

"Can you tell Hermione that Luna and Ginny are here?" Ginny asked sweetly.

The knight nodded his head and turned his back to them. Luna didn't rightly know what was going on until she saw the knight stick it's head through the wall. Luna watched in awe as his head passed effortlessly though the stone wall. It amazed her how the castle could still surprise her after six years.

All of a sudden, Hermione popped out of the stone wall and smiled at them. "What are you guys doing up here?"

"We're bored and have a plan." Ginny said excitedly. "Is the blonde beast inside?"

"No. He's with his goons." Hermione said flatly.

"How did you do that?" Luna said, staring at the stone wall.

Hermione looked at what Luna was staring at and smiled slightly she grabbed one of the stones on the wall and pulled at it, revealing a stone door that blended completely with the wall. She opened it to reveal the beginnings of the Head Boy and Head Girl common area. "The knight alerts us to who wants to get in, and we can either deny or accept them."

"Wow." Luna airily replied.

Hermione lead them into her quarters, and Luna was surprised at how neutral the colors were. Usually the common rooms of each house held its houses colors, but this room had all colors that weren't represented. The sofas were a deep purple color, and the tables a dark wood. Some things were accented with white and other assortments of colors. For the most part, it looked much like any other common room, except it held a more homey feel. There were two stair cases that Luna figured lead to the other's room.

"So what is this plan to cure this boredom?"

"Well," Ginny began as she sad down on the couch. Luna quickly joined her, and Hermione sat across from her. "We were thinking of having a sleep over tonight!"

"You choose to have the party the night I have to do late patrols of the hall." Hermione said with slight disappointment. "If you guys are still up after midnight, I'll come over."

"That sucks." Ginny said. She popped of her shoes and curled her her feat beneath her. "What are you doing up here all by herself, anyway?"

Hermione shifted her eyes hesitantly before she spoke. "Promise me you won't tell?"

Ginny scooted closer to the edge of the couch, now full attention on Hermione. "This must be good if you're making sure we won't tell."

"We promise." Luna reassured Hermione.

Hermione nodded her head and pulled out a shrunken book out from her pocket. She released it to it's natural size and handed it to Luna and Ginny. Luna tilted it and read the title of the book, letting out a small gasp in the process.

"You're studying to be an animagi?"

"Yes. If I am at all to help with this war, becoming an unregistered animagi is a great decision."

"That's so cool. I want to be one." Ginny had always expressed her want to be an animagi. Luna, too, had those dreams where she became all sorts of different animagi. Luna and Ginny opened the old book and began gingerly skimming the pages. Luna looked at some of the pictures that adorned the book, astonished at the grave detail. One picture in particular showed a man half way through a transformation. From what Luna could see, she deduced that he was becoming some sort of bird. He had the beginnings of black feathers around his eyes and ears. His arms and hands were widened to an extreme width, and his body was curving to fit the shape of a bird. Finally, his legs were drastically shorter in comparison to the rest of his body. Luna stared the picture for a few minutes, then heard Ginny whistle softly at whatever she was looking at. "This is horrible."

Luna looked up at Ginny and then quickly began reading what she was reading:

_One must be careful when making the first transformation. One of the worst problems that some wizards and witches face is being stuck in mid transformation. Mid transformation is when the witch or wizard has not completely transformed, having only certain parts of their body transformed. It causes a great mental confusion and stress, since the mind is trying to be reduced to that of the animal, but the human mind is trying to keep sane. The ways to achieve mid transformation are from deteriorating focus, human contact, illness, and interruptions. _

_One famous case was that of Randulfus Vaughan. Randulfus, a Russian wizard of the 20th century, attempted to change into his given animal, a raven. He began the process (turn to chapter 4 for more descriptive explanation of the process) and was interrupted by his child walking into the room and touching his arm. The process immediately stopped and left him in mid transformation. He attempted to talk to his child and explain to get help, but his mind, at that point, was almost that of a raven. The only sounds he could make were typical raven noises. The picture to the left shows Randulfus' mid transformation only a day after it happened. He was taken to a specialized hospital in Russia and was in intensive care for three weeks. He eventually regained his human physicality, but it took four more months for him to be able to be considered healed..._

"That is horrible." Luna muttered, staring at the picture of Randulfus in a new light. She shuttered lightly at the picture, knowing the man must had been under a great deal of confusion. She closed the book and handed it back to Hermione. "It seems too scary to even try it."

"The first two chapters are trying to scare you. They tell you about all that can go wrong, and how serious you must take it. It becomes easier after those chapters, but it's not an easy process." Hermione warned. "It's pretty complicated. The only easy part is performing the spell that tells you what animals are best suited for you."

"You don't get to choose?" Ginny said with a hint of disappointment.

"Well, you ultimately get to make the final decision, but the spell gives you the three options. I did it a few days ago. The results were... interesting."

Hermione had Ginny and Luna sitting on the edge of the couch, eagerly waiting. A few moments passed, with Hermione smirking softly at the two girls barely containing their curiosity. Finally Hermione broke in a small smile and said, "They gave me the options of three types of bears, and I chose the asian black bear."

"A bear?" Ginny said, skeptically looking at Hermione. "I think the spell got that one wrong."

"I don't think so." Luna said, studying Hermione closely. "Bears are always very caring and smart. They know how to get to food wherever it may be hidden. They're pretty strong, and guard their family fiercely."

Hermione shared a private smile with Luna in thanks. Ginny still looked at Hermione with small skepticism, but gave her a kind smile. "I still think there could have been something better for you, but what Luna says is right."

"I thought that too," Hermione began. "But it just feels right. I can't really explain it. I probably will be able to know once I actually transform."

"Does the spell bind you to continue the process?" Luna asked.

"I don't think so. The spell is available in all sorts of books that help you find out stuff about yourself. If the spell actually made you keep up with the process, I wouldn't think it would be printed everywhere."

"I want to try it." Ginny finally said. "What do you have to do?"

Hermione took the book from them and flipped through it quickly, once she found the page, she turned it and pointed to a small paragraph. "Read that out loud and hold a quill in your hand then your eyes closed. The magic will begin to write out the options."

"Sounds simple enough." Ginny said as she pulled out a quill and parchment. She studied the page for a second before she began reading. "Life now must reach thy breath of bliss supreme. Make thee the one and only Guide. Thou art the bridge between my two lives. O let my longings in thee abide."

Ginny closed her eyes immediately. At first, Ginny's hands did nothing, but it slowly started to move. It scribbled on three lines, but Luna couldn't read from where she was sitting. Once it was done, Ginny opened her eyes and brought the paper to her face.

"They're all feline." Ginny said with a slight shock. "A spotted linx, a bengal cat, and a ragdoll cat."

"Wow." Luna said, looking at Ginny in a new light. "It makes sense, since you're so independent."

"I guess so." Ginny said with a sly smile. "Your turn."

Luna looked at the quill and paper hesitantly, not sure if she wanted to hear what it would be. "It's probably just going to be all grey wolves."

"You never know until you try." Hermione said with a reassuring smile. "Who knows, you may be a crab or something."

"Oh Merlin I hope not. How terrible would that be? All I would be able to do was pinch Death Eater's toes."

"That could save a life!" Ginny joked.

"And then I'd be crushed easily." Luna picked up the quill and paused for a second. She reassured herself that this wasn't a life changing thing, and that she never had to follow through with it. She breathed in slowly, taking her time with the spell. "Life now must reach thy breath of bliss supreme. Make thee the one and only Guide. Thou art the bridge between my two lives. O let my longings in thee abide."

She felt something stir within her, and then felt her hand slowly writing. It was much like the sensation of her wolf taking over her body, except she felt magic flowing in her hand. Her hand finally stopped writing, and she grabbed the paper to see her results:

_Island Fox_

_Timber Wolf/Belgian Shepherd Mix_

_African Wild Dog_

"That's interesting." Luna finally said.

Ginny took the paper out of Luna's hand and scanned it quickly. "I have no idea what these dogs look like. Especially the mix."

Hermione took out her book and began flipping towards the end of the book. She landed on a picture of the Island Fox, and looked at it oddly. She gave it to Luna to study. Luna furrowed her brows at the fox. The picture showed two of them huddled together, with grey hair on their backs, and red hair on its ears and chest. it had a relatively small face with brown eyes and a black nose. The size of the animal itself was small.

"It looks too small." Luna said finally. "I don't think I'd want that."

"Well, let's look at the african wild dog." Hermione said, taking the book once again to find it's picture. She eventually found it and handed it to Luna. Her eyes widened at the odd looking dog. It had blonde and black spots everywhere, its muzzle mainly black and the rest of its head blonde. It had rounded ears that seemed huge on the dog and small black eyes. It was an overall short haired dog, except its tail. It was a skinny long dog. It was probably the size of a normally large dog.

"That one is weird." Ginny replied. "Really weird."

"Yea, it is." Luna agreed. "Do they have a picture of the mix dog?"

"Nope." Hermione said. "They only have pictures of pure breeds in here. I don't know how you're going to figure out what it would look like."

"We all know what a wolf look like, so maybe we can look up a picture of the other dog and try to figure it out." Luna suggested.

"Good idea." Hermione said, quickly finding belgian shepherd, which had long hair and a narrow face. It had black and sandy brown fur, except it was not spotted liked the african wild dog. The colors alternated in different spots. It was a tall dog, with long legs. There was another picture next to it with short hair, which looked more like a muggle police dog. None of them had any idea what the dog would look like.

"If I was going to become an animagi, it would have to choose a bengal cat." Ginny said, looking at her parchment once again. "I think that would be the coolest one. Which one would you pick?"

Luna had to think for awhile on which one would she choose. She was surprised that none of her choices where full wolves. She figured since she was a loup garou puella, that she would get a full wolf animal. Yet there was no pure wolf on the list. The only thing that came to a wolf was the mixed dog. The african wild dog was completely out of the question, since it would stand out easily in England. The island fox could fit in easily with its surroundings, but she wasn't exactly thrilled about it either. She looked again at the names, and noticed the mixed dog was standing out to her more than the others.

_'It is just like us.' _Her wolf said softly in her mind. _'It has a part of it a wolf, but that isn't what makes up the whole animal. It has two separate species in it, which forces it not to be able to fit in either wolf or dog. However, the dog is highly unique and stands out against a normal wolf or dog. It has faced hardships to become this mix, but it would be the most unique animal."_

Luna smiled at the truth of what her wolf was conveying. She was a mixed breed herself. She was neither werewolf, nor normal wizard. She was a rare breed that held both of the attributes of each gene pool. It made her stand out, but also made her tougher than the rest. "The mixed dog." Luna said, causing looks of surprise from Ginny and Hermione.

"You didn't seem too keen on the idea of wolves being a possibility, and you go choose the one with some wolf in it." Hermione said with a small smile.

"Well, I changed my mind." Luna said, adding a bark of a laughter at Ginny's face. "Come on, you can't be that surprised."

"I honestly am, but good for you!" Ginny said excitedly. "I really want to do this now."

"I'd talk with Dumbledore first." Hermione added quickly. "I got permission from him because I didn't want to get in a heap of trouble if something bad happened."

"Oh I will."

And owl tapped on the window lightly. Hermione walked over and let it in, and it flew directly to Luna. Luna looked at it oddly, but took the letter off it's leg. She scratched his neck soothingly, making the owl hoot happily. Luna turned back to the letter and opened it

_Guess who just arrived at this fair school? Go to the front doors._

Luna knew that hand-writting, for she had gotten letters with this same writing ever since the end of November. Luna didn't tell Ginny or Hermione, for she immediately started running out of the room. Ginny and Hermione were on her heels, asking what in the world was going on. Luna didn't bother to answer, because she was so excited. She practically jumped down the stairs, and didn't even see Harry pass her by. She eventually heard his voice and he joined Ginny and Hermione chasing her.

"What the hell is going on?" Harry yelled.

"We don't know, she just started running." Ginny said quickly, panting slightly at the rate Luna was running.

Luna rounded on the last steps and finally stopped. She glanced around the room until she saw what she was looking for.

"NATASHA!" Luna screamed in joy. Natasha, wearing some ill fitting robes, smiled slightly at Luna. Dumbledore stood behind her, giving Luna a friendly smile. She wasted no time as she moved quickly to envelope Natasha in a tight hug. Natasha gripped tightly to Luna as they nuzzled each other in greeting. After a few moments, Luna pulled away to face Natasha. "I can't believe you're here."

"Dumbledore told me that you plan on doing the ceremony this coming weekend." Natasha replied, her New York accent filling Luna's ears. "He invited me to come earlier than Jelena so that we can spend some time together."

"Thank you, Dumbledore." Luna said, turning to him and smiling appreciatively.

"You're most welcome, Miss Lovegood." Dumbledore said.

Luna then noticed her friends and boyfriend standing around awkwardly. She introduced her werewolf friend to her friends. Each smiled at Natasha politely, but Luna noted that Natasha blushed slightly when Harry went up to her and introduced himself. Luna remembered how Natasha had a crush on him, and she smirked to herself. Harry began beckoning them all towards dinner, when Luna said, "I don't think we're going to go to dinner." Everyone stop and look at her. "We want to talk some."

Everyone nodded their heads, and Harry came up and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "I'll bring you guys some food later on, if you like."

"That would be kind." Luna replied, giving him a small hug.

"Natasha, would you like anything?"

"Unless you can find a large quantity of meat, I'll just have some water." Natasha answered.

Harry nodded his head and gave her a small smile before he lead the rest of the group away from them. Luna turned around and began leading Natasha to her room. They walked the short distance to her room in a comfortable silence. Luna opened the door and let Natasha in before her. She saw that her room was enlarged, and that there were now two of everything on opposite walls.

"Wow, this is pretty nice." Natasha said, walking over and sitting at the edge of a bed.

"This is pretty new. Usually it was just one of everything." Luna smiled meekly. She sat in one of the soft chairs, her legs crisscrossed in front of her. "How have you been?"

"Alright." Natasha replied. "I guess you got my last letter, about me not doing the mating ceremony."

Luna smiled sympathetically. "I got it the day before Valentine's day."

Natasha ran a hand through her dark black hair. "Yea. Apparently I disappointed some fellows back at the pack." She laughed for a second in disbelief. "I guess it's hard, getting used to this new face."

"You are very beautiful, Natasha."

"You didn't see me before." Natasha said, as she rummaged through one of her pockets. She pulled out a crumpled photo and handed it to Luna. "That is the last picture of me before, well, before this."

Luna took it from Natasha, and looked down at the picture. Her eyes widened at the difference in the Natasha she always knew, and the Natasha she was looking at in the picture. She was very youthful looking, with wide eyes and small plump lips. She had a button nose, and a short bob hair cut. She had full bangs, and a darker grey eyes. She was much shorter in the picture, probably only as tall as Luna was now. She had very small hips, and a very small chest, making her look even more childish. She was fairly pale, with freckles littered all over her body, especially a line of them under her eyes and on top of her nose. She stood on a road crossing, taking a large step, her arms swinging next to her. The thing that Luna thought was striking was how she looked laughing. Her mouth was wide, her small teeth sparkling, and her head thrown back. She looked truly happy.

Luna looked back up at her, seeing how much she did change from who she was. She was tall and muscular, with very wide hips. Her chest was only slightly bigger, enough to make her not look like a little girl. She had lost the majority of her freckles, though some were still seen on her face. Her mouth had thinned out slightly, but still held a slightly more than normal plumpness. Her eyes weren't as wide, but they were still big on her. They held a more oval shape, and more mysterious. The color had changed to the striking violet blue that Luna thought was so unique to her. Her hair still held held it's color, though it reached to the middle of her back. She was paler than before, making her seem like a porcelain doll. She had lost the button nose, and was now replaced with a slimmer, angular nose.

"At least I gained a chest from it." Natasha joked, giving a half grin.

"Where are you in the picture?" Luna asked, handing it back to her.

"Abby Road." She replied immediately. "I'm a huge Beatles fan. You've heard of them?"

"Some," Luna said. "Harry listens to them a lot, so I've heard some of their songs."

"Well, a really famous picture was taken of them crossing this road in London. I was being a typical American and wanted to recreate the picture."

"You look happy."

"I was. I am now too." Natasha said, sitting down on the bed again. "I guess it's just hard to express it. I was so loud then."

"You sort of remind me of myself." Luna said honestly. "Thought I wasn't so outgoing, you seem like we would have gotten along well."

"Your right. Though I probably would have gushed more over boys and what not then."

"Speaking of boys, I saw that small blush you had when Harry introduced himself."

Natasha smiled slightly, closing her eyes in embarrassment. "I had the biggest crush on him when I was twelve, and he is an attractive man. My wolf was making sure I knew."

Luna felt a sharp pang of jealousy rush through her veins. "Really now?"

"Don't worry, he's all yours." Natasha said, sensing Luna's emotions.

"I'm sorry, I guess I'm not used to a werewolf thinking he's cute."

Natasha laughed loudly at that, a small glimmer of her old self shining through. "You are worried of me? Harry has a huge following of girls! You mean to tell me that there aren't girls that have gone after Harry?"

"Well, there are some.."

"See? I'm not going to go after him. Plus, he was completely concentrated on you when we met."

"I guess you're right." Luna replied. "Did you think anyone else was cute in the room?"

"Well I mean, both of the guys were spoken for. The red head isn't my type at all. To gangly."

"I had the biggest crush on him back in the day." Luna replied. She stood up and walked over to her dresser to pull out a sweater. "It was pretty pitiful. I would just stare at him whenever we were in the same room."

"That's pretty sad, dear Luna."

Natasha stood up and gave Luna another hug. Luna wrapped her arms around Natasha and held her for a few moments. "It's good to have you here." Luna said, tightening her grip.

"It's good to be here." Natasha replied. "And I'm happy for you. Harry seems like a good guy."

"He is."

A moment of silence passed between them, before Natasha spoke again. "So have you seen his willie yet?"

Luna busted out in laughter, her body shaking against Natasha. She pulled away from the hug and sat down on her bed. "You know exactly how to kill a touching moment."

"It's what I do best."

Luna had the briefest memory of Constantine, and how they would have similar situations between them. Luna looked back up at Natasha, realizing that she was much better than Constantine would ever be, and that Natasha would never betray her. Luna smiled to herself, relief spreading all around her as she felt the place in her heart that ached for Constantine be slightly filled by Natasha.


	22. Can You Not Hear the Howling?

Friday came to Luna quickly, creeping up on her like an animal stalking its prey. It waited in the sidelines while Luna's mind was completely distracted by the arrival of Natasha, but pounced on her as soon as she opened her eyes Friday morning.

Luna's thoughts immediately fell on the secret preparation that she was to endure. She knew nothing of what was to happen, something that Luna didn't like. She had wild thoughts of embarrassing rituals crossed her mind, making her cheeks redden slightly. Was it going to hurt? What it going to change anything? Will it be extremely uncomfortable? She had no answers to these questions. They burned her mind as she sat up slowly.

Natasha shifted in her sleep, causing Luna to look over. Once she was sure that she was still asleep, Luna got out of her bed. She walked in her bathroom, and reached for her toothbrush and toothpaste. She was unscrewing the top of the toothpaste when realization of Harry becoming a werewolf tonight hit her like a ton of bricks. Her hand clamped down, causing a long glop of white and green toothpaste to cover her sink. Sudden nerves filled her stomach as she brushed her teeth.

Sex was very daunting to Luna. Ginny had told her about how much it had hurt, and the embarrassing blood stain. Luna cringed against her toothbrush, completely afraid of that outcome. She knew the first time was usually painful and awkward, but Luna desperately wished that she could skip all the pain and blood. There was no way around it. Luna didn't even know if Harry had slept with a virgin or not. Mortification filled her mind if Harry saw the blood and began thinking he hurt her internally. Luna already began blushing in the mirror just thinking about it.

She didn't know how it was all going to work. Of course she knew what sex was and everything, but there was that part of the actual act. Luna didn't know how she would do, or how Harry would do, or how many awkward moments they would have, or anything at all. She had only seen his nether regions once, and she barely knew what to do with it then. How in the world was she supposed to know what to do with it when she losses her virginity?

Luna spit out the foam in her mouth and grabbed her mouthwash. She returned to her previous thoughts, and noted that Harry had never seen her unclothed. She had only had werewolves and unfortunate teachers see her in the buff. She looked at her reflection in the mirror self-consciously, wondering if he would like it. She knew that her werewolf genes made her more appealing to the opposite sex, but she still had normal wizard genes too. The thought of her body compared to Cho Chang crossed her mind. She frowned as she swished the mouthwash in her mouth. Harry had a huge crush on her back in his fifth year, and they ended up sleeping together. She had an athletic build that was far more impressive than Luna's. She had toned arms and legs, and was a tiny little girl. Luna certainly wasn't tiny, nor was she completely toned. She had always liked her body, but compared to someone like Cho Change, it made her doubt herself.

_'There is no point in looking at yourself critically,' _Her wolf reasoned. _'You have heard me time and time again telling you how your body attracts men. Your genetic makeup held more of the werewolf genes than your human part.'_

"I know." Luna said out loud, staring at herself in the mirror. "I still have human thoughts. Girls my age always doubt themselves."

_'You know better.'_

Luna didn't reply, knowing her wolf was trying to reason with her. Her wolf did have a strong point. She had attracted all sorts of attention since the beginning of the summer, once her wolf started to make itself known. She really had no need to worry about her body. Harry was already with her, not with Cho. They had been dating for almost five months. Harry and Cho barely dated. It was logical that Harry preferred Luna over Cho. She smiled to herself, slightly rolling her eyes at her over-thinking brain.

She removed her clothes and jumped into the shower. The less than warm water woke her up, rejuvenating her energy. She took her time showering, enjoying the smell of her body wash and the feeling of being clean. She stepped out, wrapping herself up in a towel and moving towards her room. Glancing at Natasha's bed, Luna walked slowly towards her dresser. As quietly and as quickly as she could, she put on her school skirt and shirt. She was finishing up her tie when a small knock sounded at the door.

"Hey." Harry whispered. "Is she still asleep?"

Luna nodded her head quickly. She held up one finger before she turned around and grabbed her school bag. When she turned around, Harry was leaning against the doorframe, watching her every move. His tie barely stayed tied, and his eyes held small bags around them. He looked as if he was about to pass out right then. Luna frowned slightly at him, but otherwise kept her concern to herself. She closed the door behind her with a soft click.

"Good morning." Luna said happily.

He smiled at her and squeezed her hand. He brought her hand up his mouth and kissed it softly. "Good morning to you too."

"Did practice go well last night?"

"For the most part. Ron really needs to work harder. We kept going until he could stop ten quaffles in a row. It took until 11 last night." Harry yawned loudly, sending an apologetic smile towards Luna. "I wish we could have hung out instead. It would have been much better than practice."

"Well, when you are not practicing, remember someone somewhere is practicing, and when you meet him he will win."

"You're right, as always."

Luna smiled radiantly at him. "I try my best, golden boy."

They walked in silence for a few more minutes as they passed some fellow students. She continued holding his hand while she smiled and waved at the people she passed.

"Don't forget that we have to get sick today." Harry whispered as Luna exchanged a friendly greeting to Susan Bones.

"How are we going to contract an illness that will hinder us from going to class for three days?" Luna questioned softly.

Harry let go of her hand briefly, shoving it into his pocket. Luna watched his hand move slightly, until she saw it stop suddenly. He then pulled out two very small plastic bags, each containing a pill. One was a bright red color, and the other was a neon yellow color. Luna quirked her eyebrow at the boy in front of her, her wide eyes full of questions.

"Fred and George created these for us. They'll make us get really sick, but we won't feel sick. They said it was a gift for our night." Harry chuckled slightly. "The pills have been tested thousands of times, and the only side effect is drowsiness."

Luna nodded her head, eyeing the pill hesitantly. "How long does it last?"

"Usually 30 minutes."

Again, Luna nodded. It really was the only plan that the two had to get out of class without telling the teachers of her endeavors for the weekend. However, it was a Weasley twin project, and even she wasn't completely trusting of it. She took the yellow pill from his hand, tossing it lightly in the air. "Well, looks like it's the only thing we've got."

"That it does." Harry put the other pill in his pocket, and Luna did the same with her yellow one. "I'm going to take mine during the Charms, since I know Snape won't let me out even if I had projectile vomit. When are you going to take yours?"

"Well, I do have Transfiguration this morning, and I really like that class. I have Care of Magical Creatures too, and we're supposed to be talking about unicorns!" Luna pouted slightly in frustration. "I don't want to miss anything."

Harry laughed loudly as he rubbed Luna's back. "You and Hermione are the only two people that would want to attend all of their classes."

"I'm a Ravenclaw." Luna said in mock seriousness, her pointer finger waving in front of her for emphasis. "I have a large thirst for knowledge."

His eyes danced happily towards her as he pulled her towards her. "And I wouldn't change a thing about you."

They walked to the Gryffindor table and sat next to the familiar faces of their friends. Hermione was reading her advanced potions book, a quill stuffed behind her ear. Ginny was talking animatedly with Seamus about something funny, since Seamus was laughing softly and Ginny had a broad grin on her face. Ron was shoveling eggs and pancakes into his mouth, seemingly without taking a break to get air.

Luna slid in next to Ginny and began picking out pieces of bacon. "Good morning everyone."

Everyone gave various replies to Luna. Harry sat next to Luna swiftly, causing Ron to look up and give him a nod of recognition. "I was terrible last night, wasn't I?"

"You eventually got it." Harry said encouragingly.

"And missed the majority." Seamus muttered under his breath. Ginny smacked him, but Ron had heard it already. Ron put his head in his large hands, shaking his head slowly. Seamus shifted awkwardly in his seat before he said, "Hey now, you got some great enthusiasm."

"Why don't you make me the bloody cheerleader?" Ron asked miserably.

"I'm sure you'll be fine at next week's game." Hermione said absentmindedly, her eyes never leaving her book.

"Is Natasha still sleeping?" Ginny asked Luna in a whisper.

"Yea, she sleeps in pretty late in the day."

"I can come by during my break and have a late breakfast with her. I have my free period today."

"That would be great." Luna said with a small smile. "You sure you don't want to spend it with Seamus?"

This caused Ginny to blush a light crimson. "I spent the night with him last night. I'm sure he'll be okay."

Luna blushed too, her mind already figuring out what all the couple did. "Harry turns tonight."

Ginny's eyes went wide for a few seconds before she masked her shock. "I completely forgot about that! Aren't you worried?"

Luna almost rolled her eyes at the question. Of course she was worried. It wasn't everyday someone turned into a werewolf just to be able to help someone lose her virginity and then turn back. She knew werewolf bites were painful, but she wasn't exactly sure how it felt to put on the bracelet. She never knew of anyone that used the bracelet, so there was no way of her asking what it was like. All she could do was pray that Harry would be alright. Her worry began settling deep in her stomach, now making it something she would feel for the rest of the day.

"Yes." Luna replied simply.

"I'm sure everything will be alright. Who knows, maybe it will enhance some things about him." Ginny said with a small smirk. "I think it would be cool to have that strength."

"I'm sure you weren't thinking about strength being enhanced there." Luna said in a hushed whisper. Ginny just shrugged her shoulders, pulling an innocent look on her face. The two fell into giggles quickly.

"Oi! We got Charms in a few minutes." Ron practically shouted. "We're gonna be late."

Harry leaned over and gave a small peck. "I'll be waiting for you by your room to see if you're alright."

"I think I'm going to take it during Muggle Studies." Luna whispered quickly. "I'll get Ginny to take me up."

Everyone got up from the table to depart to their classes, Ginny and Luna off to Transfiguration, and the others to Charms. As Ginny and Luna walked, Luna quickly explained what she was planning to do, and asked for Ginny's help to take her swiftly back to her room instead of the Hospital Wing. Ginny agreed without a moment's hesitation, and even offered to take Natasha to the Gryffindor common room while Luna recovered from. She explained that it would give Luna some alone time to think things over, and to better prepare for tonight. Luna was ever thankful that Ginny was much like the caring mother Ginny's mother was, and Luna made sure Ginny knew.

Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures seemed to go by easily. Luna wrote down every word her professors were saying, concentrating all her energy on her classes. She knew the make up work was going to be difficult, and because of that, she made sure she didn't miss a thing today. All too quickly, Muggle Studies crept up on her. Luna sat down in her assigned desk and pulled out her textbook. She looked across the room and saw Ginny also take her seat, her friend giving her a thumbs up. Luna only smiled slightly as professor Burbage began her lecture.

"Today we will be discussing the technology of computers. Anyone know what a computer is?" Professor Burbage's pleasant voice rang through the room. Luna's hand slowly went in the air when know one else responded. "Yes, Luna dear."

"A machine that manipulates data according to a set of instructions." Luna said airily, priding herself in knowing the answer.

"Precisely." She gave a kind smile to Luna as she crossed the room. "Now, non magical humans have discovered a way, without magic, to be able to do difficult mathematic equations, storing information, and even communication instantly with another person with a touch of a button."

A few murmurs of curiosity went through the class, and Luna leaned towards her teacher in fascination. A machine that sends information instantly, and getting instantaneous responses? That was a feet even her own race couldn't invent.

"To begin, the history of the modern computer begins with two separate technologies: automated calculation and programmability. However, no single device can be identified as the earliest computer, partly because of the inconsistent application of that term. Examples of early mechanical calculating devices include the abacus, the Antikythera mechanism, the slide rule, and the astrolabe. If you all will turn to page 394, we shall begin looking into the abacus."

Luna opened her old textbook and began flipping through the pages, taking her time reaching the desired page. Luna stopped a good hundred pages away when a picture caught her eye. The object in the picture was a small circular item, and seemed that most of it was rolled up around the circular sides. The center of this object seemed to pucker up in an odd bubble like shape, and it was practically translucent except for the very faint tint of a beige color. She scrunched up her nose in confusion, not knowing what exactly it was. She looked at the top of the page to at the title. In big bold print, the title read:

**MUGGLE INVENTIONS TO PREVENT PREGNANCY: THE CONDOM**

At first, Luna rolled her eyes and began moving through the book again, but then she stopped immediately in turning the page. One part of the title stuck out to her like a sore thumb, and Luna couldn't get it out of her head.

Luna knew nothing of protection against pregnancy.

_"How could I be so stupid?"_ Luna chastised herself in her mind. She felt the worry of everything intensify tenfold. How was she going to be able to stop it? She couldn't have a baby now. She wasn't even married. There had to be potions for this, but they would most likely take days to prepare. Was there a spell to prevent pregnancy? How would it work? Was it always guaranteed to work?

"Oh Merlin." Luna said out loud, immediately realizing her mistake. Some of the students looked over at her quizzically, while Ginny looked at her expectantly. Luna shook her head quickly at her friend, indicating that she hadn't taken the pill yet. All Luna could think of was how in the world she was going to stop getting pregnant. All she needed was some time to think. Luna felt through her pocket to get the pill, completely forgoing her plan of taking it in the last few minutes of class. There was no way she was going to be able to concentrate on computers today. She yanked the pill out of the plastic bag and plopped it into her mouth.

In few short seconds, Luna tasted the very sweet taste of bananas. It was heavenly on her mouth, making her temporarily forget her worries. She then began feeling nausea in her stomach, though it wasn't like a normal nausea feeling. It held a stronger feeling of contentment instead of sickness. Luna tilted her head in confusion and curiosity, wondering exactly how they were able to do that.

"Luna, dear, you look fairly ill. Are you feeling alright?" Professor Burbage asked.

She must look positively dreadful, though she didn't feel ill at all. Luna looked back at her teacher and opened her mouth to speak, but was met with a wave of vomit. Her eyes grew wide as she clamped her mouth shut quickly, not wanting to get it everywhere. The students next to her flew as if Luna had the plague, going to the complete opposite side of the room. Ginny came running over to Luna and began forcing Luna to stand up. Her legs gave out from under her, making her knees buckle. She stared down at her knees curiously, not understanding why she was completely week. She felt perfectly fine. Well, besides her insane amount of worry.

"I'll take her to the Hospital wing, Professor." Ginny said, wrapping Luna's arm around her shoulders.

"How very kind of you." Burbage said with a small frown. "No need to worry about the mess dear. Nothing a wand can't fix. Do get better Miss Lovegood."

Luna nodded her head, not trusting her own mouth to release words instead of vomit. She felt Ginny begin walking them out of the classroom and towards her bedroom. "That was some insane vomit. It was almost projectile. I've never seen anything like it. George and Fred outdid themselves on this. I'll have to ask them for some when I see them next."

Luna didn't answer, but let Ginny to continue talking.

"It's awfully nice for them to make this for you, isn't it? I guess they wanted to make it easier on you guys, and I'm sure that they made fun of Harry up to no end of it." Ginny chuckled to herself, shaking her head slightly. "I bet you don't really want to hear me talk, do you?" Ginny patted her back motherly as they walked. "All you're probably thinking about is getting your hands on Harry and doing your ceremony."

Little did Ginny know that Luna was thinking only about how scared she now was of getting pregnant. Luna's eyes got wide at the thought of her getting pregnant, walking around with an enormous belly in a Hogwarts uniform. It was not necessarily the thought of bearing Harry's child that scared her. She was way too young to begin thinking about having someone's child. She needed to get married before that, get out of school, have a job. There was so much that needed to happen _before_ a child was to come into this world.

_"Surely Harry knows about protection."_ Luna thought to herself. Harry did do the deed with Cho, and she didn't get pregnant. He must have used _something_. She began to feel slightly angry at the fact that she never got a proper sex talk from her family. All she was ever told was the overall purpose of sex, and how women get pregnant afterwards. There was no mention of this 'condom' contraption, protection spells, or potions to prevent pregnancy. Luna just had complete faith in what she was told, never questioning it.

"How is she doing?" Harry's voice rang in Luna's ears, causing her to look up sharply at him, which she immediately regretted. Not only did her whole world spin in front of her eyes, but she felt a fresh wave of contentment nausea hit her. Her body sagged slightly, but Luna continued to feel normal, despite what her body was portraying.

"Well, she threw up only once, but I think she's trying to fight off a new wave of it." Ginny said, taking a quick glance at Luna's face.

"How long ago did she take it?"

"About ten minutes ago."

Harry came up and wrapped his arms around her waist and hurried her through her bedroom door. "She's going to have a lot to throw up soon."

Hearing Harry say that made Luna clamp her mouth tighter, determined not to be sick until she was safe in the bathroom.

"What the hell?" Natasha yelled, taking one look at Luna and getting up on her feet. Harry took a quick glance at her before making his way towards the bathroom. Natasha followed quickly, with Ginny on her heels. "Anyone want to explain why Luna looks like the living dead?"

Luna shoved herself out of Harry's arms and practically fell on the toilet, finally opening her mouth to release all the vomit she had kept inside. Harry was completely right; it was a lot. She was able to stop for a few seconds to take in much needed oxygen, before she bent over and began again.

"We had to make ourselves sick for a bit in order to get excused from our classes." Harry said softly. Luna vaguely felt his hand on her back as he said this. Someone's hands came near her head and began pulling her hair back.

"She looks awful." Natasha said near her ear.

"I don't really feel anything." Luna said, taking huge gulps of air. She gave a crooked smile to her friend, before she turned back to the toilet.

"What she means is, she feels normal, but she externally looks sick. The vomit is from the pill. It has a flavor to it, so it isn't so disgusting. Mine tasted like cherries."

"How long does it last?" Ginny's voice softly came to Luna's ears from somewhere behind her.

"Well, after she's done vomiting, she'll just feel tired and need to sleep for an hour or so. I'd say she's almost done throwing up."

Luna could feel her body begin to calm down. She now was able to breathe for more than a minute now. Slowly, her body completely stopped trying to heave up the medicine, and all she felt was exhaustion. She flushed the toilet and stood up slowly. Harry's arms held on to her elbows securely. Luna took a large gulp of her mouthwash and spit it out after a few swishes in her mouth. "Those pills really work."

"I'd say so." Natasha replied. "I thought you were going to die or something."

"Is there anything we can do for you?" Ginny asked from her spot near the bathroom door.

"No, I think sleep will be just fine." Luna smiled reassuringly at Ginny.

"I'll look after her if you two want to go do something." Harry stated as he looked at the other girls. He tried to act nonchalant about it, but even Luna could hear the order in his voice.

"You're already acting like a werewolf; all protective of your girl." Natasha stated with a cheshire grin. "Shouldn't be too hard for you tonight."

"Thanks for that vote of confidence." Harry said with a slight smile.

"Come on Natasha, we'll go back to my room again and look at magazines."

Luna heard their footsteps grow fainter, until she heard her bedroom door close behind them. She turned towards her boyfriend, immediately remembering her worries. She fiddled with her hands for a moment, before she looked him dead in the eye and said, "Do you have a condom?"

Harry's eyes bugged out of his head as he stared incredulously at her. "Uhm, Luna... I don't think we should be thinking about..."

"Not for now." Luna said, realizing how she must have sounded. "For this weekend. I don't want to get pregnant. We need something to prevent it. How do condoms work?"

Harry's cheeks blazed a bright red color as he leaned up against the wall. "Well, uhm, it's like a tube thing, that makes sure that _my_ stuff doesn't get to _your_ stuff.

"So who would wear it?"

"Me."

Luna and Harry fell into silence, Harry out of awkwardness, and Luna out of contemplativeness. This condom seemed to be effective enough. Their only problem was that there wasn't a muggle store around Hogwarts. This was a great dilemma, considering they were to be having sex within a few days. Luna scrunched her nose in thought. "Do you think we could get some?"

Harry smiled softly at her and squeezed her shoulders. "Don't worry, Luna. I've got everything prepared so you don't get pregnant. You had enough to worry about this week. Now, I'm sure you want to sleep."

Luna still had questions burning in the back of her head about what Harry had prepared, but her tiredness was taking over her thinking. He gently moved her towards the bed and laid her down. Luna yawned softly as she pulled her knees up on the bed. "Are you going to stay in here while I sleep?"

"Of course." Harry replied easily.

Luna pulled the covers back and curled into her pillows. Harry began pulling a chair up to her bed, but Luna patted her bed quickly, indicating for him to lay with her. He smiled at her and left the chair in the middle of the room as he crawled behind her. She felt him get situated and pull the covers back over them. His arms snaked around her waist and held her loosely.

"Sweet dreams." Harry whispered in her ear, his voice tickling her neck slightly.

Luna smiled as she began closing her eyes. She was just about on the verge of sleep when she turned to him and looked him in the eye. "Are you sure you want to change?"

Harry looked down at her in all seriousness. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. "Yea, I'm sure. I want to be with you."

"Aren't you nervous? If you're nervous, we don't have to do it. It won't hurt my feelings." Luna said quickly, the words spilling out of her mouth in a small whisper. Obviously, she knew it would hurt her feelings a great deal, but it was better for him to be alright than her. Apparently, her face betrayed how she would honestly feel, because Harry looked at her with an audacious face.

"I am not afraid of this. It would mean that we would be together. Plus, I wouldn't be able to stand the thought of some guy taking it from you instead of me. You're with me." Luna felt her heart swell in glee at the slight possessiveness tone he took. Her wolf also howled in delight. She snuggled in closer to him and closed her eyes once again, this time falling into a deep sleep.

She dreamt about how her mother must have taken this ceremony at her young age. She needed her so badly, to give the embarrassing motherly look. The one where her eyes are watery and she has a smile that says, "My baby's all grown up." But it wouldn't be there when she woke up, and she knew that. But she created the image of her mom just doing just that in her mind. She stood in what was the last thing Luna could remember her mother wearing: her experiment clothes of dark green pants and bright yellow shirt with paint splatters all over. Her hair was up in a loose bun, few strands framing her face elegantly. Her hands were clasped in front her, held up in a moment of glee. The sun shined softly behind her, her hair catching it and making a small sparkle. The image of her mother mouthed "I am so proud of you" with a few tears falling down her face.

Luna heard herself cry out loud at that moment, her eyes immediately opening. She brought her hand to her face and quietly wiped her face of her fresh tears. She turned to see if Harry was still behind her, but the only thing that was there was a piece of paper. Luna picked it up and read:

_I had to leave and begin my preparation. I wanted to wake you, but I figured you needed some well-deserved rest. I shall see you tonight. Don't worry, this will all go as planned. _

Luna smiled at his note and let if fall back to her bed. She still felt the slight ache that the dream had created, but she exhaled slowly to calm herself. A soft knock sounded at her door, quickly followed by the loud creaking of her door. "Is it alright to come in?"

Luna nodded at Natasha's voice and watched as she entered. Natasha grinned as she beckoned for whoever was following her. Luna's heart jumped up when she saw Jelena and Madara walk in with huge grins on their faces. She flew up to them and enveloped them in tight hugs before giving the traditional greeting.

"Good afternoon, Luna." Jelena said formally, her smile wide.

"Nice to see you again." Madara chirped, lazily laying an arm across Luna's shoulders. "How have you been doing?"

"Great." Luna replied with ease. She watched as the two women moved through her room and looked politely at her things. Luna noted Madara's slight discomfort in her plain robes, scratching in random part. "Not used to the clothes?"

"Not at all. How can you take this?" Madara replied, scratching her back awkwardly.

"It's not as bad as you're making it." Jelena retorted. She turned to look back at Luna with a serious look on her face. "How are you feeling about tonight?"

"Completely nervous."

Madara and Jelena laughed softly and gave knowing smiles. Natasha stood next to Luna with a stern look, but giving a small affectionate smile. "They say it's not too bad."

"It just takes a long time, really." Madara said, plopping herself on Luna's bed. "There really isn't anything to worry about. Boy was I nervous as hell when I had my first one."

"She threw up about four times the day before, and then clung to me to save her." Jelena said, running her hands through her daughter's hair. "But I calmed her down and let her go."

Luna watched the tender moment pass between the two with a slight ache in her heart. She pushed it aside quickly, choosing to pay attention to her nerves. "Well, I threw up enough for four people, so I doubt I'll be doing that."

"We heard." Jelena remarked, going over to Luna and feeling her head. "Do you feel okay?"

"Perfectly normal." She smiled at Jelena to prove her point, and walked over to one of the chairs in her room. "How do you guys like this place?"

"It's nice for a wizarding school." Madara commented. "I want to sneak a peek at those woods though. I bet that's a fun place."

"It's forbidden for us to go in there."

"Really? Well, rules are always meant to be broken, now aren't they?" She winked at Luna, adding a wide smile at her.

"Luna, my dear, it's time to go see Harry."

Luna's heart picked up speed when Jelena spoke those words. She glanced at the clock, just to verify that Jelena was right. He would be a werewolf in only a matter of minutes. He would be driven crazy by the allure of her scent. And he was doing this all for her.

She lead the way towards the Room of Requirement since no one else from the group knew where they were going. Jelena walked next to her, with Natasha and Madara walking behind. Luna could practically feel her heart in her throat, beating quickly like a kick drum. It was one of the most nerve-wracking walks she had done so far in her life, and it seemed to take on forever. Each step made her more nervous. She kept her head bowed and ignored any of the students walking by her, not trusting her face to look calm enough. Luna felt Jelena's hand take hers softly, giving a motherly squeeze towards her. Luna looked up into the older woman's eyes, not saying a word. Somehow, they both knew how much Luna needed that hand and what it meant to her. If Luna wasn't so nervous, she would have cried. Instead, she squeezed Jelena's hand harder.

They reached the tapestry that held the door to the Room of Requirement, where Dumbledore, Hermione, and Ginny were standing in deep conversation. Upon seeing Luna, Dumbledore put a hand out towards Luna and said, "Good evening, Miss Lovegood."

"Good evening." Luna replied in a small voice.

"I was just telling Miss Granger and Miss Weasley all about what is to take place. Now, these two girls and myself will be escorting you inside to view Harry's change."

"What about Jelena, Madara, and Natasha?" Luna's hand clamped more onto Jelena's in complete fear. They were the ones that knew what was going on. She wanted them to be in there with her too.

"We can't be in there because Harry could confuse our scent with yours. We'll be right outside the door, looking in. We will be a mere ten feet away from you. There will be a charm that will block our scent from entering the room, but there is no way to isolate our scent if we are in the room with him." Jelena explained slowly, reassuringly rubbing her thumb across Luna's hand.

"We will be standing next to you, ready to shoot spells at Harry just in case he tries to do anything funny. Remus, Ron, and Dominic will be there too." Ginny said with a broad grin on her face. "Though I doubt anything will happen."

"It won't be anything to worry about. It's just precautions." Hermione said with a friendly smile.

Luna nodded her head, looking at Dumbledore. "Will it take long?"

"Only a few moments. He must recite a spell, place the bracelet on his hand, and into the circle of earth laid on the ground. We will go in whenever you are ready, my dear."

Luna looked around at her friends, seeing the reassuring look on there faces. She felt her hands become clammy, and the butterflies in her stomach freaking out. She bit her lip in nerves and nodded her head, not trusting her voice to sound calm. Dumbledore smiled at her and took her arm. She took a deep breath as she entered the room.

It was radically different from what she was used to seeing. The room looked like an actual forest, with trees, bushes, grass, and dirt everywhere. There was a clearing in the center where a dirt circle was places, though the circle had ancient markings around its rim. Across the room stood Harry in a plain white shirt and black pants, clearly old clothes borrowed for the occasion. Harry was all smiles when he saw Luna, giving Luna some comfort. Ron stood next to him with a serious look, but sent a smile towards Luna when he acknowledged him. Remus and Dominic were on either side of the room, looking serious at the circle. They nodded their heads when she walked in, but continued to stare at the circle.

"Remus and Dominic, is the circle prepared?"

"Just one more spell." Dominic said, his voice sounding strained. Luna watched as they both began muttering a spell, and the dirt circle began to glow a bright copper color. She heard a faint humming sound coming from the circle, and then the sound of wind flowing through the room. The circle went back to its dirt color, and Remus and Dominic broke their stare and turned to Dumbledore. "It's done now."

"Very well done." Dumbledore said. "Miss Lovegood, if you would be so kind as to stand on that stump near the circle."

Luna did as he was told, standing up on the sturdy stump. She noted how she was in direct line of Harry's vision once He crossed into the circle. She figured she must be standing there in order for him to smell her first. Ginny and Hermione took their positions near her. Ginny squeezed her hand as she passed, and Hermione gave her a quick hug. Luna looked behind her and saw the blue glow of a spell around the door and Jelena, Madara, and Natasha standing behind it. They sent reassuring looks towards her, and Luna smiled back at them.

"Now, Mr. Potter, whenever you are ready, you may begin."

Harry stepped closer to the circle, and began the spell. "A grey-maned King am I, barking my gruff orders under Orion's sky and, beneath my throne of dew and stone my people, all sinew and bone, flashing fangs and eyes of smoldering coals, haunched on brawny hinds they do attend me."

Remus and Dominic bent down towards Harry, moving to a position as if they were about to pounce. She looked back and saw Jelena, Madara, and Natasha doing the same.

"I can be a strong one; my quarters taut, my shadow lean and gaunt yet brimmed with power - unlike now, so much more tame, my ribs a bony rigging for my ragged human cursed frame. Yet look ye now, where is that night-caped regnant? Nothing but a weak, starving bad holding the bones of weathered days am I, howling for future glories to the moon and stars. Tonight, the Moon howls back, the white skinned woman in wonder and pride. The hunt is called to me tonight. The mate has given herself to me tonight. The time has come - can you not hear the howling?"

There werewolves near the room began howling softly, creating an eerie atmosphere to the room. Luna felt goosebumps forming on her arms, as she stared intently at Harry. He held out the bracelet in front of him and held it for everyone to see. The howling grew louder at that moment.

"My dear sweet werewolves, without you I am nothing." He placed the bracelet on his wrist and tied to on. He took a deep breath and walked towards the circle. Just before he was about to cross the dirt, he shouted. "Our wild souls are one!"

He crossed the circle with one stride, and the copper color rose again in the dirt. The howling stopped immediately as they watched Harry stand still in the circle, his eyes closing slowly. Some dirt began rising in the air, swirling around him intricately. The humming sound from earlier began again, this time louder and stronger. Luna felt something in her begin to stir, and she felt herself begin to crouch much like the other werewolves did. She bowed her head and tilted her neck, showing her ghostly white neck to Harry. She had no idea what she was doing, but could tell that her werewolf knew what needed to be done. Luna cast her eyes around and saw that all the werewolves had their head tilted in the same manner, and were looking at him. The humming stopped immediately, and the dirt fell quickly to the ground.

Harry was crouched down on the ground like the rest of them, his clothes now covered with dirt spots. He took off his glasses and tossed them across the room, creating a loud shattering noise. Luna jumped slightly at the noise, but continued in her crouching position. Keeping his head bowed, he began standing up. Luna noted that he looked stronger, but not with more muscle. His hair was messier than usual, and held some dirt. Harry raised his head and looked at Luna dead in the eye, and Luna nearly lost her breath. His eyes, which were green before, now were the brightest emerald green she had ever seen. It was unnaturally green, almost seeming too bright to look at. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever looked at, and couldn't tear her eyes away from him. She straightened herself up and looked at him evenly, trying to see what he was going to do. He raised his head towards the ceiling and took a few sniffs, and then looked back at her. His eyes began to cloud with lust, and Luna felt herself react to it.

"Luna, don't." Ginny said, her arms shooting out in front of her. She hadn't noticed that she had taken a step off the stump, and looked at her legs quizzically. Her wolf was beginning to howl loudly in her mind in recognition of Harry's transformation. Harry began howling at Luna after her wolf finished in her head, almost as if Harry could hear it. He began stepping out of the circle and moving towards Luna with one mission, and it was obvious what that mission was.

Remus and Dominic jumped in front of Harry and began growling, pushing him back towards Ron. Harry snapped back at the two older men, peering at Luna over his shoulder. Luna began breathing harder and faster, not sure of what was happening.

"Luna, get behind us." Hermione said, her wand out at the ready. Luna did as she was told, but noticed how her wolf wasn't keen on doing so. She felt a heavy weight when she began moving away from him, and Harry reacted angrily towards her movement.

"She is mine! Let me claim her!" He shouted angrily at Remus, his eyes never leaving Luna's body. His voice sounded like heaven to her wolf, and Luna's body began turning towards him again.

"Come on, Luna. Don't listen to her. You have to do your ceremony first." Hermione shouted in her ear.

Luna shook her head and began moving towards the door. She watched as Harry kept pushing Remus and Dominic away. Ron ran over towards his best friend and shouted a binding spell, freezing his friend on the ground. Harry looked at Luna hungrily and licked his lips slowly, causing a warm feeling spread through her abdomen. "I'll find you, my sweet. And then I will claim you over and over again."

Though normally Luna wouldn't find what he said alluring or attractive, her body reacted as if he was right next to her whispering sweet nothings in her ear. She shivered visibly, causing Ginny to grab hold of her arm to guide her. She felt her wolf battle with her in her mind. Luna knew she had to get out, but her wolf was wanting for the mating to begin at this precise moment. They fought for a few moments before Luna was able to get her legs under control to move towards the door, but her wolf was able to get control of her head. She found herself turning her head towards him and cocking an eyebrow and saying with a very heated voice, "I can't wait."

She didn't have time to see his reaction, because someone grabbed her arm and pulled her through the door, and the door shut behind her with a loud clank.

"Now that was an interesting transformation." Madara replied, her hand still holding onto Luna's upper arm. "He makes a very handsome werewolf. Let's go star the ceremony, shall we?"


End file.
